


Through The Aether

by Kerrigore



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Give Me Some Timbits, Gutwrenching Fluff, M/M, Reaper76 Big Bang, Sci-Fi Elements, Set in Contemporary Toronto, Side Spiderbyte, Soulmate AU, Swearing, This Fic Contains Art, With a McGenji Cameo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-12-03 09:26:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11529396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kerrigore/pseuds/Kerrigore
Summary: "All the things I ever do seem to lead me back to you."Gabriel Reyes always thought he'd be alone, markless in a world of matched souls. Of course, that notion is tested when a strange man literally falls through the roof of his music shop and into his life...





	1. Calamity

**Author's Note:**

> Art for this fic is by [Jellygay](http://jellygay.tumblr.com), and can be found [here.](http://kerrigore.tumblr.com/post/163098083860/jellygay-my-contribution-to-the-reaper76bigbang)

He came through the space between spaces to fall from the sky.

Though, Jack Morrison supposed, it was more like an embarrassingly ungraceful tumble. The world spun around him, body at the mercy of the dimension he’d been thrust into. Gravity was at work here, he noted ( _oh, goodie.)_ , as clouds zoomed by and the pulsing cityscape below drew ever closer.

Jack struggled to right himself and gain command over his descent, at the same time angrily jabbing the controls on his gauntlet. Every attempt to correct his disastrous course was met with an electronic fizzle.

His technology _never_ malfunctioned. He was far too careful, too meticulous with its maintenance, and yet, there he was, against all odds, hurtling towards death.

Jack sighed. _It could always be worse._

At least he was headed toward what appeared to be solid ground and not some soul-crushing void, sea of undoubtedly acidic liquid, or the maw of an ancient god. _What luck._  He made a fist with the gauntlet, pressing his fingertips into his palm, and the device emitted a soft blue glow. As a protective barrier enveloped him, Jack only hoped the inhabitants of the realm were semi-tolerable and weren’t inclined to try to eat his flesh.

The last thing he needed were more complications.

 

* * *

 

The Don't Fret music shop sat on the corner of Church and Queen in the heart of Toronto, storefront dim, the word ‘CLOSED’ shining bright in the glass of its front door. Multicolored lights from a digital media display, which showcased the latest downloads and portable devices, painted the interior of the shop. Shadows played against the aisles of vintage albums and sheet music books, the grand piano on the floor, the guitars perched on the back wall. They drew away from a door, half ajar, in the corner. Radiance spilled out. Soft music from an acoustic guitar filled the silence.

Gabriel Reyes sat on a stool in his office, dressed in black jeans and a t-shirt with a swooping owl on the front, re-tuning the instruments that had been used in the last lesson of the evening. He’d been working on the final one, when he’d gotten carried away, and soon the echoes of his singing filled the empty building.

“In peace, in death, in endlessness, I come for you my dear. I’m on my knees. Please take my hand. I’ll show you there’s nothing to fear.”

It relaxed him somewhat, getting lost in his music, shutting out the thoughts that often crept up when he was alone, which was more common than he’d like to admit. Running the store kept him busy during the day, but at night, coming home to an empty apartment, an empty bed, it was—

A cacophonous crash surrounded him and Gabriel felt the building shake, a tremor rippling through the very foundation. He shot up, dropping the guitar as a cloud of dust poured into the office. Without thought, he flung the door open to see that the ceiling of his shop had a god damn hole in it as if it were stuck by a meteor (which he assumed had also went through his stock on the second floor). Light fixtures were hanging by wires, cross beams were twisted and punched through, and chunks of debris were all over the floor, some of which had impaled the aisle racks that managed to remain standing. Everything was dark save for the street lights, power seemingly out in the shop.

“What in the actual fuck,” Gabriel said, tangling his fingers in his curly, black hair, and tugging at it in frustration. It didn’t take him long to find the source of the destruction. “What in the _actual fuck_.”

There was a man in his mid-twenties, around Gabriel’s age, in a brown leather duster wearing a high-tech gauntlet on his right hand, and he was encased in a blue shield bubble, laying in a small crater in the floor, bits of tile and crushed instruments having been flung around him. The man himself was completely unscathed. He groaned, placing a hand to his head, flattening messy blonde hair as the shield dissipated, blinking hard behind a pair of glasses. He stood slowly, legs wobbling like they'd give out any second.

Gabriel looked around for a weapon in case he needed to defend himself and grabbed the broken neck of a cello, holding it like a baseball bat. He grimaced internally. His insurance better cover all of this…

“Well, I'm not dead,” the stranger muttered, looking himself over. “That's a start.”

“You might be soon if you don't tell me who the fuck you are,” Gabriel roared, pointing at the hole. “And how you did that.”

The intruder’s gaze caught Gabriel’s, blue eyes piercing brown, and he furrowed his brow, “Could you speak again and open your mouth a little wider this time?”

“Excuse me?” Gabriel blinked.

He leaned forward, peering at Gabriel’s mouth. “Hmm… By the look of your dentition it doesn't appear flesh is your primary diet. That's a relief.” He walked by to examine the hole, tail of his coat brushing against Gabriel’s leg. His tone was calm and polite, “That goes all the way through. I'm truly sorry about that.”

“Sorry isn't going to cut it,” Gabriel snapped. He'd thrown his life into his shop; moved from LA with his best friend to start over. He'd barely been in Toronto for a year. “I expect you to pay for the damages you caused.”

“Oh,” he frowned. “This place uses money. Where am I exactly?”

Gabriel looked at him incredulously. _What is with this guy?_ “Did you hit your head when you fell?”

“Normally that would be an impossibility, but considering my recent luck...” He sighed, fiddling with his gauntlet for a few seconds before letting out a growl and what was probably a curse. “I suppose anything is possible. Location please. Sometime this cycle. ”

Gabriel strongly considered telling the guy to screw off, but the cops hadn't arrived yet (there was no way _someone_ hadn't heard), so he figured it was best to stall. “Toronto.”

“A city?”

 _How could he not know?_ “Yes...”

“I suppose I could have been more clear…” The stranger tapped his chin. “What planet is this?”

“How do you not know?” Gabriel asked, almost dropping the cello neck as he spoke with his hands, turning his palms out. _He looks human enough…_

The stranger smiled, “Ah, well, by your dumbfounded expression I know what you're thinking,” he held up a finger, “and I guess by definition I am an alien, but not the kind alien you're probably picturing.” He took a step towards Gabriel until he was in his space. He barely noticed how easily his makeshift weapon was removed from his grasp, hearing it fall to the floor. “Your planet.”

“Earth.”

His eyes widened, and when he spoke his voice cracked, “That's in the Milky Way, correct?”

“Yeah,” Gabriel replied, staring.

“Thanks,” the stranger spun around. “How in the Void did I get so far across the Fabric?” He started pacing back and forth in front of Gabriel. “This is the opposite of where I was supposed to have ended up. My calculations are never off. There's no way I was wrong. Just no way.”

“Uh…” _What is he going on about?_

“But, I had to be,” he laughed a little. “How else would I have gotten here?”

The sound of sirens drew Gabriel’s attention away from the stranger's rambling and two police cruisers pulled up in front of the shop.

“Finally…” Gabriel muttered.

The stranger's head snapped towards the window. He then briskly walked towards the back of the shop. “It was nice meeting you, whoever you are,” he waved. “Again, I’m sorry for the mess, and I sincerely hope you get it sorted out.”

“Oh no,” Gabriel broke into a dead sprint and lunged for him, managing to grab his wrist. “You’re not going anywhere blondie. I don’t give a fuck where you’re from, but around here you don’t just walk away after crashing through someone’s ceiling.”

He stopped. “I won’t walk then,”

One second Gabriel was holding on with all of his strength, and the next the stranger was gone, vanished a blink of light. Gabriel’s eyes darted around, but he saw no trace of him.

“Fuck me.” Gabriel put a hand over his mouth and dragged it down his chin, pulling his beard. He stared up at the hole, through the parting clouds, greeted by the stars and a sliver of the moon.

Someone behind him asked if he was alright.

No. No he fucking wasn’t.

 

* * *

 

“Rough night?”

Gabriel lifted his head to see the smiling face of his best friend, Micaela Estrada, who went by Sombra to everyone but her mother. She offered him a steaming cup of coffee. He’d been sitting on the curb in front of his shop, the police supervising workers inside who were trying to temporarily cover the hole with what was probably several giant tarps. He'd already been on the phone with the insurance company, who were going to send someone to assess the damage in the morning.

He took the cup, glancing at it then back at her, “Black or…?”

“It’s a Triple Triple,” Sombra said.

“Thank you.”

“ _De nada._ ” She sat to his right. Sombra set an elbow against her knee, resting her chin in her palm.

“We got you this too,” Amélie handed him a box of Timbits before sitting on his opposite side. Amélie was Sombra’s soulmate, and the reason she’d moved to Toronto in the first place. “Chocolate.”

“And I brought the back-up,” Sombra declared, pulling a dark grey beanie out of her coat pocket. He always kept one in their car, just in case. It came in handy when his regular one ended up getting trapped in his office for the time being.

Gabriel managed a smile, barely. “You two know how to spoil me.” He put the beanie on, pulling it down over his ears. “What did I do to deserve such good friends?”

“Eh,” Sombra poked him in the side. “We’re just glad you’re safe. We tried to get to you earlier, but the cops wouldn’t let us near your store.”

“Though Sombra wouldn’t leave,” Amélie spoke with a French accent, “until she found out if you were alright.” She sighed. “I thought she was going to get arrested.”

“But I didn’t,” Sombra grinned.

“You are incorrigible.”

Gabriel smiled, sipping his coffee. The three of them were supposed to have gone bar hopping after he’d locked up for the night. The sugar was helping somewhat, but he really could use a drink that had more bite. “What time is it?”

“One forty two,” Sombra said, glancing at her phone.

Gabriel groaned. The bars stopped serving at two, and he wasn't really allowed to leave until the police were done. He tore open the Timbits and stuffed five in his mouth.

“So, what happened?” Sombra cautioned.

He waited until his mouth wasn't full of food to speak, “You guys aren't going to believe me.” He almost didn't believe it himself. The police certainly hadn't, but he'd somehow convinced them to take his statement anyway.

“Try us,” Amélie said. “I put up with Sombra’s nonsense on a daily basis. This cannot be worse.”

“She's got a point Gabe. My nonsense is legendary.” Her violet painted lips drew into a smirk.

Gabriel sighed. “Alright Sombra, you're about to be outdone.”

She scoffed, but waited for him to continue.

“Some blonde _gringo_ who looked like he belonged at a Sci-Fi convention dropped through my ceiling and destroyed my shop. He was completely fine,” _He had a shield bubble… Fuck that sounds dumb, “_ got right up and everything. I tried to keep him there but he…”

“He what?” Amélie asked.

“Did he fly away?”

“ _Sombra.”_

 _“_ It's fine Amélie. She was close,” Gabriel said.

“Wait really?” Sombra asked.

“He just… Well he vanished. I think he may have… teleported,” Gabriel took another sip of his coffee.

He expected Sombra to burst out laughing, but instead she leaned in, looking Gabriel right in the eyes. “You're completely serious.” She then looked at Amélie “He's completely serious.”

Amélie seemed lost in thought, brows knit together. “Perhaps you should come stay with us, at least until your intruder is found.”

“I don't think that's necessary,” he waved a hand dismissively. “He wasn't hostile or anything, just strange.”

“No, I think you should,” Sombra said. “Especially with the number of recent disappearances.”

 _Of course she'd bring that up._ “I’ll be fine, really.”

The trio fell silent. None of them were actually certain he would be. Gabriel was one of the few members of the population who had never manifested any sort of soul mark, never had a vision, never felt any sort of deep, knowing connection to anyone. While Sombra had received her mark, a spider on her forearm, at twelve years old, and Amélie, a calavera on the same spot, at thirteen, Gabriel had simply never received one. He was Unmarked, and Unmarked had been disappearing globally without a trace for years.

They'd be going about their lives and in a blink would be gone, swallowed from reality. No one had ever seen a disappearance, and none had ever been recorded on any media. The only thing people knew for sure to indicate one had even occurred was the power in the local area would be knocked out…

 _Shit._ That guy had knocked out the power in his shop. Maybe he _should_ stay with Sombra and Amélie? But then again, what did it matter? If he was going to be removed, he couldn't do a fucking thing about it, so why fret? He'd honestly accepted the possibility that he could just simply cease a long time ago…

“I'm not going to be afraid,” Gabriel said.

“I get that, we're just… worried.” Sombra said with a sigh.

Gabriel finished his Timbits and stretched out his legs, rolling his ankles around in his boots. “Yeah, well that never did anyone any good. You two can go home if you want. I'll head out when those guys are done,” he indicated to the inside of the shop with a thumb.

“And leave you alone with a living Sci-Fi trope on the loose?” Sombra threw an arm around him, which was awkward since Gabriel had broad shoulders and was well-built compared to her lithe frame. She ended up hooking his neck in the crook of her elbow. “Not a chance.”

“I suppose I have no choice but to stay as well,” Amélie said with a smile, flipping her long, black ponytail over her shoulder with a toss of her head.

Gabriel could only smile. At least the night hadn’t been all bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is for the R76 Big Bang. Enjoy.
> 
> kerrigore.tumblr.com


	2. The Neighbor

__

 

_Get it together Jack. You're a professional._

Jack had only teleported a short distance, but it was far enough away from where he’d landed that he certainly wouldn't have to deal with the building’s owner again. He’d seemed like a normal, well-adjusted individual, and Jack felt awful about ruining what was likely the man's livelihood, but he didn't have time to worry about such things. He needed to get out of this realm and get home, which was so very, very far away.

More frustrating, however, was that he was still baffled as to why he’d ended up on Earth of all places....

_I just don’t understand._

Jack was leaning against the side of another building. He took a deep breath. First thing was first: he had to find an information repository. Earth civilization seemed advanced enough that it should at least have one of those.

“I’m not spinnin’, you're spinnin’.” A voice slurred, followed by an embarrassing laugh.

“When I said ‘pace yourself’ that did not mean try to out drink the man at the end of the bar who easily had triple your body mass,” Another, more soft-spoken voice said.

Jack turned his head to see two men walk by the mouth of the alley he was hiding in. One was leaning heavily on the other. He was incredibly hairy, sporting a full beard that met his side burns. The other had no facial hair to speak of, but he did have short, neon green hair atop his head, the color reminding Jack of Void Terror saliva; a quality he would normally find off-putting but... perhaps they could help?

 _I've already broken enough of The Explorer’s Code tonight,_ he reminded himself. However, his survival _was_ dependent on what information he'd be able to gather, and that was held above all else.

He steeled himself, and without further hesitation Jack walked towards them, out of the shadows. “Good evening gentlemen. I could use some assistance if you'd be willing.”

“Genji,” the hairy man's head lulled to the side and he pointed at Jack, “who the hell is that? Hey man,” he was grinning, “Fan Expo’s not for another four months.” He started laughing again. “Genji. _Genji_. Do you see this guy?”

Jack mentally noted he’d have to find some less conspicuous attire.

“It's hard not to Jesse. He is three feet in front of me.” Genji gave Jack a suspicious stare, and his words reflected caution, “What did you need?”

“Could you point me in the direction of your information repository?” He said, intentionally deflating his stance to look as non-threatening as possible.

“Uh…” Genji blinked.

Jesse spoke through laughter, which hadn't ceased since Jack stepped out of the alley. “Is this guy for real?”

“Quiet Jesse,” Genji kept his attention on Jack. “You mean a library…?”

“Yes. That will do fine. Could you show me the way?”

“It's not open right now.”

“That’s alright, I'll wait,” Jack said confidently.

Genji blinked. “It’s not open for another seven hours.”

“No matter. Where is it?”

“Right here partner,” Jesse thrust a rectangular object with a screen in Jack's face, almost smacking him in the nose. “Blinky guy is us. Library is thata way,” Jesse nodded in three different directions.

Genji let out a long sigh, taking the device. “Here. This is where we are,” he pointed to a blinking red icon of a person overlaid atop what Jack assumed was the city map. Genji traced a finger over a pathway on the map. The one-way screen in Jack's glasses lit up as he recorded what he was being shown. “The library is here.” He tapped a building on the map. “Three blocks back and one over on Fort York Boulevard. Got it?”

“Yes,” Jack nodded. “Thank you both.”

Without another word Jack headed down the sidewalk where he'd been directed.

“That guy was nice,” he heard Jesse say. “Not as nice as you, but nice.”

“Let’s get you home,” Genji said.

“And then what darlin’?”

He heard Genji groan before he was out of earshot. Their banter had a certain closeness… one Jack briefly found himself envious of. He didn't have anyone like that. Well, he supposed, he did have a family, but it wasn’t the same thing. A nice thought, being with another, but he knew the term relationship just meant complication, and for an accomplished interdimensional traveler like himself, it was one he couldn’t afford. His explorations, his quest to map out new realms across the Fabric of Space and Time, could easily result in his end, and it was just easier to go it alone.

_But I shouldn't have to…_

Jack immediately shelved the notion. Perhaps another time.

He hurried down the sidewalk, following the map to end up in front of a massive rectangular building with steepled corners on the right side. The second floor jutted out over the entrance, plate glass covered by evenly spaced columns, creating an overhang to protect the entrance from the elements.

Jack cycled through detection modes on his glasses with a thought, spying one human security guard inside, who was sitting at his station. He then took the time to scan for potential security devices, mapping out their locations. _Simple enough to handle_.

Other than his dimensional portal cutter, the rest of the functionality on his gauntlet seemed fine. He activated his stealth camouflage, fading from sight, and used the short range teleporter to get inside. Jack wandered around, partly in awe at the vast number of books on the sprawling shelves that encompassed most of the wall space.

He'd been in libraries before. Some realms had paper books, slabs, or scrolls. In those with more developed peoples, data libraries were normal. It seemed, no matter where he went, information was coveted.

As he explored, he kept a lookout for anything that would make his gathering process faster. Books were nice, but they would take him ages to glean anything useful from, even if his gauntlet could scan and process entire pages.

Jack wandered upstairs, noticing an area with groups of some kind of terminal set up. A sign with the words ‘Internet Access’ on it hung from the ceiling above.

_That seems promising…_

He went over to a terminal, making certain to pick one facing away from any cameras he'd detected, and pressed the only button he saw. The screen in front of him lit up, and he followed a set of directions, which had been secured beneath the monitor, to gain access. They also helped him open this ‘Internet’.

Jack smiled and began to type into the search engine. _Now, share your wealth with me._

 

* * *

 

Gabriel hadn't been getting much sleep. His shop would be out of business for weeks at least (according to the insurance company), and without it he figured he'd die of boredom long before they were able to make the necessary repairs.

It didn't help that he hadn't been able to get the blonde man out of his head since he'd crashed into his life a few nights ago, the image of him floating in that blue shield bubble seared into his memory.

_Who the fuck was he?_

Gabriel had never met anyone like him before. He was strange, sure, but seemed genuinely lost; that or delusional (in which case Gabriel felt terrible about having let him go, even though there probably wasn't anything he could have done). Either way, he’d needed help and now, the guy was alone out there, doing who knows what around Toronto. He’d been on the lookout, but hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary on the news…

Whatever it was, Gabriel decided, it was much fucking quieter than his new neighbor. He groaned and shoved another pillow over his head, trying to bury himself in the mound of them he’d created, having pulled them in from other rooms to try and muffle the noise.

It wasn’t working.

Some asshole had moved in yesterday while Gabriel was out grocery shopping. It sounded like, whoever they were, was building a fucking car in their apartment from scratch, filling his own with dull metal thuds, banging, and tool noises.

The unit in question was at the very end of the hall, near the fire door, with Gabriel's snuggled right beside it, and he was unfortunate enough to be the only one that close. His building was only packed some of the time; a lot of the apartments occupied by college students, who'd mostly vacated at the end of their semester. New neighbor was probably subletting.

 _Maybe I should have gone over to Sombra and Amélie’s…_ He groaned, bursting out of the pillow pile and rolling out of bed at a particularly loud clang. Gabriel didn’t even bother to look at the time. It was already way too late for him to be dealing with this shit.

He slipped a hoodie on over his pajamas, which consisted of a black sleeveless tee and a pair of skull-patterned flannel pants, and reluctantly left his apartment. Gabriel had to take a couple of deep breaths as he stood in front of his neighbor’s door, trying to soothe some of his irritation. He was not pleasant in the mornings, and probably looked like Death, especially considering he hadn't had any coffee. Gabriel briefly thought about hitting up a 24 hour Timmies, but the idea of walking more than he already had was wholly unappealing.

Gabriel rapped on the door with his knuckles. The noise on the other side didn’t stop, so he tried again, louder. Nothing changed. Gabriel then started repeatedly pressing the door buzzer, which he'd avoided because he hated that damn noise too.

It seemed to work though, as the apartment went quiet, and he soon heard approaching footsteps.

“Hello?” someone said from the opposite side of the door, sounding cautious. The voice was gravelly, like the man had smoked since he was twelve, but there was a firmness to it Gabriel liked, as well as a familiarity he couldn't quite place. He blamed the odd feeling on the stress of the past few days.

“Hey man, do you know what time it is?”

“No. I'm afraid I don't.”

Gabriel sighed. “Way too late to be doing whatever it is you're doing. You woke me up.” _And I don’t think I'm going to be getting back to sleep…_

Silence.

He narrowed his eyes at the peephole, “Can you maybe stop and pick it up during the day when I'm not home?”

Still no reply.

“I know you're still there. I can see your feet interrupting the light in the door crack.”

“Sorry,” the man on the other side said quickly. His words carried more weight than they should have for a conversation between two strangers, tone deeply apologetic, “I didn't mean to wake you.”

Gabriel was kind of caught off guard, most of his irritation deflating. “It's… it’s fine.” His neighbor still lingered at the door, and Gabriel felt compelled to keep talking, as if it were expected, “So you moved in yesterday.”

“I did.”

“I wasn’t around.” _Introduce yourself, asshole._ “I'm Gabriel.”

A pause.

“Jack. My name is Jack,” he replied.

“Nice to meet you Jack,” Gabriel said, feeling a bit odd that his neighbor had never opened the door, but he figured he had his reasons. As for himself, well, he'd rather be on friendly terms with the guy in control of his sleep than not. “Welcome to the neighborhood. Let me know if you need anything.”

“I will.”

“Alright then. Well, I'm going to try to sleep again. Night.”

“Goodnight, Gabriel.”

 

* * *

 

“Void consume me now,” Jack said, sliding down the door to sit on the floor of the mostly barren apartment.

Jack put his head in his hands. _Of course_ he'd run into the shop owner again. _Of course_ he'd end up being Jack's next door neighbor.

_What does it matter? I don't plan on being here for long._

Which was going to be longer now that he'd been forced to cease construction at night. Jack _could_ ignore Gabriel and continue, but he felt he'd already done enough damage, and it was best to not attract any more attention. Gabriel didn't know who he was, (hopefully) and Jack intended to keep it that way.

He could move elsewhere…

Jack lifted his head, gazing across the living room at his workspace and a partially finished stationary portal cutter, which was already taking up a lot of room counting the cables and wires trailing off of it. Jack had already started working on adapting the power in the building to suit his needs, if the chunk he'd taken out of the wall to get to the wiring was any indication.

He sighed. No, moving would be a hassle he couldn't afford, and as much as he felt pressed to break Gabriel’s request by the thought of how much he didn’t want to be stuck in the realm, he resigned to deal with the inconvenience. He owed him that much.

_Why do I care?_

He shouldn't, but for some reason, Jack did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Jack just wants to go home and not deal with those pesky consequences. Psh.


	3. It's You

Sombra had cleared out a space in her pawn and computer combo shop, Reality Bytes, so Gabriel could continue giving music lessons to his clients. It was only a few blocks up Church Street from Don't Fret, so they wouldn't have to go far.

“Didn't know you taught so many adults,” Sombra said, leaning on the back of his chair. His previous client had just left.

“I prefer the kids.” Gabriel put his guitar in its case, “They have fun even when they're frustrated.”

“You look like shit,” she said flatly.

“Haven't been getting much sleep.”

Sombra shifted to lean on Gabriel’s shoulders. “Oh, someone keeping you up?”

He turned in his chair to face her, pushing her off in the process. “Not in the way you’re thinking Sombra.” _You know I’m Unmarked…_ Sombra seemed to think he’d magically get a mark, find his soulmate, and be happy with his life in the same manner she was. It was an endearing thought, but Gabriel knew the universe wasn’t that kind. He supposed he could date another Unmarked (there were websites for that sort of thing), but part of him didn’t want to go through the effort, or the potential heartbreak of his partner possibly vanishing into nothing.

“Was worth a try,” she shrugged.

“You’re never going to give it up, are you?” he asked with a sigh.

“No, I’m not. You deserve to be happy too, Gabe.”

“I’m fine.” He wasn’t. “Really.”

“Uh huh. You know when you say you’re fine I believe it about as much as I do when Amélie says it, which is to say I fucking don’t.”

Gabriel stood up and wandered past the register to the back room of Sombra’s shop, which had been fashioned into a break room even though she was the only employee. Gabriel had two, both of which he was going to pay for the unplanned time off with some of the insurance money. It was the least he could do. He sighed and went over to the Slushie machine, filling a cup with blue raspberry and sucking as much as he could through a red straw, not giving a shit if he gave himself a brainfreeze.

“ _¿_ _Que pasa?_ ” she asked, plopping down on the worn couch opposite the entrance.

“Got a new neighbor. He woke me up a couple of nights ago, and I haven’t been sleeping much since. The first time he was building something in the dead hours. All kinds of noises; loud as fuck. The night after it sounded like something exploded, and the power to the whole building was knocked out until the following afternoon. And last night…” Gabriel drank more of his Slushie, ignoring how much his head hurt. “I was jolted awake by him shouting something unintelligible out of anger. Then he just… ran the shower. It was still going when I got up. I don’t know if he fell asleep in it or what, but you know how I hyperfocus on sounds…”

“Have you met them?”

“Sort of. We talked through his door the first night. I haven’t actually seen the guy. His name’s Jack.”

“Is he by himself?”

“Yes…?”

“You should ask him out, ” she said pointedly.

Gabriel groaned. “I know nothing about him other than he doesn’t seem to leave that apartment and he eats a lot take-out.”

Sombra snorted. “Are you spying on him?”

“No. Of course not.” _That’s something you would do_. “I just ran into the delivery guy on my way home, and he complained about having to come to the building three or more times a day.”

“Well,” Sombra leaned forward, forearms resting on her knees, “Amélie and I are going out to dinner tonight when she gets off work. Maybe you and your reclusive neighbor should join us.”

Gabriel slammed his cup down on the table where the Slushie machine was. “What part of I don’t know the guy don’t you get?” He immediately felt awful, running his hands down his face. “Sorry Sombra, I’m just… a bit on edge.”

“Look, you said he was alone.”

“I assume he is. I haven’t heard anyone else.”

“Maybe he’s Unmarked, and if he’s not, then atleast you tried, right?” She stood up and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. “What do you have to lose? Amélie and I… we don’t want to see you grow old alone.”

“I won’t be. I have you guys.”

Sombra smiled a little. “We both know it's not the same thing.”

 _Yeah, I know…_ Gabriel frowned.

“Think about it.”

He could only nod.

 

* * *

 

Gabriel spent about ten minutes standing in front of his own apartment door thinking about how he was going to ask Jack out. Everything he thought of left him feeling more like an idiot.

_Hey Jack, it’s me Gabriel. We’ve only spoken once before, and I have no idea what you’re into, but maybe you’d like to go to dinner with me tonight and a couple of my friends?_

He shook his head.

_Hi Jack. Remember me? We had a great conversation for about five minutes a few nights ago. You had a nice sounding voice. Want to go out?_

No. He laughed to himself. That wasn’t right either.

_Jack, hi. I’m Unmarked, real lonely, and was kind of hoping you were too._

Gabriel almost face-palmed.

_Nice shoes you got there, wanna fuck?_

He groaned. There was no way Sombra’s idea was worth it... Gabriel stuffed his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie, bouncing a bit on the balls of his feet as he considered. He was obsessing over details too much. There was a high chance it wouldn’t work, that Jack would simply decline Gabriel. He didn’t even know what Jack looked like, or how old he was (though, as most of the residents of his building were college students and grads, it was probably safe to bet Jack was close to his own age), or if he was even available. And, if by some incredible longshot he actually was, would they even be compatible?

 _Nut up and ask him Gabriel._  

Sombra had at least been right about one thing: he didn’t have anything to lose by trying. Gabriel took a deep breath and left his apartment, heading next door to Jack’s. He was about to knock when he noticed the front door was ajar.

Gabriel tensed, and cautiously gave a knock. “Jack?”

Nothing.

He slowly pushed the door open with his fingertips, eyes catching a few drops of crimson on the hardwood floor. Gabriel raised his voice. “Hey, Jack! It’s me, Gabriel!”

Still no answer.

He knew he shouldn’t intrude into someone’s private space, but what if something had happened to his neighbor? What if he was hurt? What if he needed help and couldn’t get any? Not the type to leave someone in need, Gabriel slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside.

“What the…?” The door clicked shut behind him.

The living room in Jack’s apartment was barren. No furniture, no personal belongings, nothing other than a partially completed giant circle of metal attached to a base with all sorts of cables running off it. There was a hologram floating in the unfinished space, depicting the blueprint for rest of the device, which nearly touched the ceiling.

Gabriel stared at it for a moment before scanning the rest of room. The far corner by the front door had a pile of pizza boxes from Antonio’s, empty liter bottles of Coke, and paper cartons Gabriel recognized as being used to hold poutine. There were at least nine of each. But, what caught his eye, and pressed him forward, were the additional spots of blood on the floor, and the puddles of vomit.

“Jack?”

Gabriel walked through the living room, down the hall, drawn to the bathroom by the sound of heaving. He poked his head in. “It’s you.” His eyes widened in both surprise and anger, hands becoming fists.

“Please,” Jack managed. He was sitting on the bathroom floor worshipping the porcelain god. Jack looked up at Gabriel briefly, blue eyes sullen, pale skin tinged a sickly green, short blonde hair stuck to his forehead, which was dripping with sweat, before he vomited again. His shirt, stained, had been thrown aside, and he was sitting there in a pair of boxers, shaking as if winter had rolled in. He was breathing heavily, grasping the edge of the toilet bowl. His right hand was bleeding, but not heavily. “Help.”

Jack was the asshole who’d destroyed his store.

Gabriel loomed over him, shrouding Jack in his shadow.

“Gabriel… I…” A tremor surged through Jack and he lurched, vomiting, fingers curling around the edge of the toilet bowl.

He let out a deep breath through his nose, expression softening. Gabriel needed to turn Jack in, but he absolutely couldn’t ignore his plea. _Damn it._ Kneeling down, he put a hand to Jack’s forehead. “You’re burning up. I need to get you in to see a doctor.”

“No,” Jack shouted. “No one else.” He shook his head vehemently. He sounded terrified and Gabriel had no idea why. “I can't.”

“Jack, you really should—” Gabriel glanced at Jack’s bleeding hand. It was just a cut; didn’t look deep, so he wasn’t as worried about that, but Jack’s bathroom smelled vile, and Gabriel figured he must have been in there for a while.

“I said no,” Jack gave him a stern look before he threw up again.

Gabriel waited for him to finish, watching him breath heavily, before he tried speaking, “You're not really in any position to be denying medical care.”

Jack assaulted him with a pleading stare. The terror had returned, and if Jack were able, Gabriel imagined he'd bolt… or teleport. “Fine. I'll do what I can.” _What did I just agree to?_ “But I need you to answer a few things for me, got it?”

“Alright.” Jack spat into the toilet bowl.

“Did you eat all of that food I saw in the other room?” He motioned with a thumb.

Jack wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and nodded.

“What did you have on your pizza?”

“Poutine and Coca Cola.”

Gabriel blinked. “You put that on your pizza?”

“Yes?”

 _Oh boy…_ “Okay, what was on the pizza before you did that?”

“Um, small aquatic lifeforms.”

“Anchovies?”

“Maybe?”

Gabriel sighed, kneading his brow. _Well that explains it…_ “You’re sick because you ate too much garbage, and you probably have food poisoning. No one orders anchovies on pizza from Antonio’s. Ever.” _And no one eats nine fucking pies worth._

Jack just groaned.

“I should be calling the police after what you did.”

“No authorities…” Jack muttered.

“I should,” Gabriel said, leaning down to hoist Jack to his feet. He hung limp for the most part, likely too weak to stand. Gabriel picked him up instead. He was built like Gabriel, toned and broad, though a bit thinner, especially at the waist. “But I’m not going to.” He swung into the bedroom. Why he thought it would be furnished he didn’t know. The only thing in there was a table with Jack’s gauntlet, his glasses, a few strange devices (one of which had a small stack of money beside it), and a bunch of clothes, some with the store tags still attached. He made a mental note, and carried Jack out the front door back to his own apartment. “I swear if you vomit on me I’m changing my mind.”

“Thank you…” Jack said, head lolling to the side so his cheek was pressed into Gabriel’s chest.

“Or drool.”

Jack seemed to push his face harder into Gabriel as they moved through the living room. Gabriel glanced down. Even in his sickness, Jack looked peaceful where he was, and Gabriel swore he saw a smile ghost his pale lips.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” he warned.

Like the rest of Gabriel’s apartment, his bedroom was immaculate. He carefully pulled the covers up and set Jack down on his sheets, tucking him in, though he made sure the bleeding hand was resting on top. He was quick to drag the waste bin over to the side of the bed.

“If you need to throw up, do it in there,” Gabriel pointed at it.

Jack gave a weak nod.

“Don’t go anywhere,” he said sternly before he left the room.

Gabriel stopped when he got back into the living room, eyeing the phone. He really _should_ call the police, but he knew he wasn’t going to. Gabriel wasn’t the type of person to betray someone’s trust, even that of a stranger. He’d help Jack, and then he’d turn him in.

It was the right thing to do, wasn’t it? _I shouldn’t be debating this._

He shook his head, going into the kitchen where he got a glass of filtered water and a big ice pack from the freezer, which he wrapped in a towel. He detoured to the bathroom for the first aid kit before returning to Jack.

“What is that?” Jack asked when he saw the ice pack.

“Something to help bring your fever down.” _Hopefully._ Gabriel tried his best to sound reassuring.

Jack still eyed it suspiciously.

“Look, you asked for my help, and in order for me to give it, you're going to have to trust me just a little bit. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Sorry.” Jack said, sounding utterly miserable.

“It's fine.” Gabriel replied. He set the pack down on the bedside table and forced Jack to sit up a little, bringing water to his lips. “Drink. I don't know how long you’ve been sick, but you’re dehydrated. I don’t care if you keep throwing up for the rest of the night, you’re going to keep drinking this, got it?”

“Yes,” Jack took a few sips, some of it dribbling down his chin. He watched Jack drink most of the glass, and when Gabriel was satisfied he let Jack get comfortable again, setting the ice pack down on his forehead. “Hurt at all?”

“No, Gabriel.” Jack looked up at him, eyes tired. He was having trouble keeping them open.

“Good. This might, though,” he said, opening the kit. He took out an antiseptic pad to clean Jack’s hand. Jack winced a little, watching Gabriel work, but otherwise didn’t react. Gabriel had been right; his injury wasn’t severe. Wouldn’t even need stitches. He finished cleaning the sliced skin and bandaged his hand. Jack was on the verge of passing out. “Rest. If you need anything, shout. I’ll wake up.” _You've been pretty good at doing that._

Jack closed his eyes, mouthing ‘thank you’, and quickly fell asleep. Gabriel briefly wondered if he’d gotten any since he’d moved in. He certainly didn't have a place to sleep in his apartment other than the floor… Gabriel frowned at that, lingering for a few minutes longer before flipping the light off and heading out to the living room to make his bed on the couch.

 

* * *

 

Jack woke up feeling like he was on fire. _No, that would probably be better._ Drenched in sweat, he leaned over the side of the bed and hurled, mostly acid at that point, into the trash bin Gabriel had left him. He’d regretted eating those tiny aquatic creatures… those anchovies. He knew something in this realm was going to try to kill him. Jack just didn’t expect it to be food.

He’d taken the medicine in his emergency kit when he’d first felt ill that morning, but it hadn’t done much to settle his stomach. Jack kept vomiting, and when it finally subsided he tried to sit up. His world spun and he nearly fell off the bed, gripping the side table for support and flinging the glass onto the floor in the process.

“Jack?” Gabriel’s strong figure was in the doorway. When the light came on he thought he saw a look of concern flash across his face as he made his way over to him, though his vision was a bit blurry.

A hand was on his forehead then.

“Shit. Jack you’re still burning up. I may need to take you to a hospital.”

“No,” even in his addled state he was quick to respond. He absolutely could not allow anyone else to find out about him. Jack didn’t belong in this realm. An Explorer was supposed to have as little impact on the places they visited as possible, being unobtrusive, invisible. Jack’s entrance had already been too grand, had already attracted the attention of too many, and presenting himself as even more of an outsider to additional strangers was dangerous, especially to any medical specialist who would have access to his entire being.

“Jack, please.”

“I will not.” He saw Gabriel shake his head, and suddenly he was scooped up out of the bed into his arms. Jack very weakly tried to lodge a protest. “Gabriel! I said no!”

“Relax, we’re going to the bathroom you idiot.” He felt Gabriel’s hand cover his forehead, and his tone wavered, “I need to try and break this fever.”

In spite of Jack's concerns, Gabriel did as he’d said, kneeling beside the tub, cradling Jack with one arm while he drew the bath water with the other. Jack didn’t speak at all, staring up at Gabriel, who was irritated. Unsurprising. Jack sighed a little, which Gabriel must have heard because he looked down at Jack to meet his gaze, expression shifting to one of concern.

“Why are you so stubborn?” he asked.

“It’s a character flaw, one of many, I guess.” Jack replied softly. That was too personal. “What some call stubbornness I call determination.”

“Is another flaw dropping into people’s lives in the most destructive ways?”

Jack forced a small chuckle. He’d deserved that. “I’m normally much more discreet.”

Gabriel scoffed. “Yeah, I bet. Are you alright to sit up for a moment?”

“I think so.” He was still dizzy.

Jack was shifted so he was sitting on the floor, against the side of the tub, and no longer against Gabriel. The lack of contact was strangely saddening. Jack wasn’t sure why. Gabriel stood and went over to a closet, grabbing a bunch of pieces of folded cloth of different sizes and colors. He leaned over Jack, taking one of the larger pieces and setting it up like a pillow at the back of the tub.

Then, he waited for the tub to fill, staring at the water.

Jack felt like he should say something, feeling the tension between them as strongly as the pain in his gut, or the aches in his limbs, but he didn’t think he could make the situation better, only worse. So, he remained quiet, and closed his eyes.

Soon, he felt Gabriel lift him again and a cool relief washed over him as he was set in the water.

“Lean your head back,” he heard Gabriel say, and Jack’s head came to rest on the makeshift pillow. He cracked his eyes open to see Gabriel soak a cloth in the water and drape it across Jack’s shoulders and down his arms. Another was placed on his forehead, which Gabriel lightly dabbed.

“I am sorry for your store,” he managed. “If it’s any consolation, the damage wasn’t intentional.”

Gabriel grunted, but didn’t make eye contact with Jack.

“I…” _You’re making it worse, Jack._

“I believe you,” Gabriel said. Well, that was something he wasn’t expecting. Gabriel wrung the cloth out, re-soaked it, and set it on Jack’s forehead. Jack felt droplets run down his cheeks. “When you apologized a few nights ago, I knew it was for more than just for waking me up. There was too much weight behind it. You also said, the first time we met, well, you implied, that this wasn’t where you’d intended to travel.” Gabriel looked at him then, eyes a deep, dark brown with touches of gold, surrounded by skin just as dark and just as beautiful. His face was chiseled, with sharp cheekbones, yet somehow rounded with a certain softness Jack couldn’t pinpoint, but it was ever present. Wait. Why would he even notice that about Gabriel? What was wrong with him? It must have been the fever… “Where are you from?”

Jack wasn’t sure he wanted to give Gabriel that answer, so he settled for his usual frustrating vagaries, “Far away.”

“Yeah, I got that.”

Jack let out a shaky sigh, and Gabriel didn’t press further. They remained in awkward silence, Gabriel occasionally refreshing the cloth on his forehead. Jack was quick to let himself relax, and as he slipped in and out of sleep, he lost all sense of time. Gabriel had gotten up at one point, returning with a large bottle of water, which Jack only vaguely remembered drinking.

“What a mistake,” Jack mumbled, laughing a little. Everything was so hazy…

“Go back to sleep,” Gabriel said.

Jack just laughed. “I haven't made one like this in a long time.”

“Jack.”

“The Explorer’s Code,” he laughed again, head rolling to the side as his gaze lifted to the ceiling, “I demolished it, so easily…” A cackle.

“Explorer’s Code?”

“Oh yes,” he weakly lifted a hand, swaying it back and forth as if he were conducting an orchestra. “Don’t disrupt the natural order.” He sung the second part of each point of the code. “ _Do nothing._ Observe with minimal impact. _Be invisible._ Self preservation is paramount.” Jack’s finger pointed at Gabriel. “ _You are everything.”_

Jack’s delirious laughter morphed into sobbing, and he felt Gabriel’s fingers touch his cheek, cool droplets streaming down his face as fire consumed his world.

The next time he was fully conscious he was back in Gabriel’s bed, clothed in only a robe, and tucked beneath several layers of blankets. The room was dark, obscuring details, but Jack found himself scanning it anyway. He didn’t see Gabriel at all until he looked to his left; his form curled up in the space beside him, back to Jack, laying on top of the covers.

“Gabriel?” Jack whispered.

 

* * *

 

Gabriel hadn’t actually been asleep. He’d pretty much forgone that notion for the time being. Instead, he’d been up all night watching Jack. His fever had broken enough for Gabriel to feel confident in removing Jack from his bathtub, and he was relieved, to say the least.

The things Jack had told him he assumed he wasn’t supposed to hear. _The Code_ … He had questions, but he'd keep them to himself, having to constantly remind himself not to take everything Jack had said seriously. _The fever had been talking, that’s all._

It was sometime the next morning, he’d forgotten what time exactly, but he remembered texting Sombra to allay her concerns. She’d called him about a dozen times for missing their double dinner date, and, thinking back, he probably shouldn’t have messaged her what he had…

_‘I’m with Jack. I’m going to cancel lessons for the next couple of days.’_

Her reply had been a winky face emote followed by what he knew was a coy: ‘have fun’. Gabriel hadn’t felt like correcting her.

“Gabriel?” Jack repeated.

“I’m awake Jack.”

“I’m freezing.”

“You have every blanket in the apartment _,_ ” he replied, though he wasn’t irritated. He could feel Jack shake and shiver through the mattress, and turned to face him. Even the dark couldn’t hide how sick he still looked, and just seeing him like that made Gabriel unhappy. He reached out and put a hand to Jack’s forehead. “Yeah, you’re definitely colder than you should be.”

“How long was I asleep?” Jack asked, sounding drained of energy, as if the rest he’d gotten had done nothing.

“A while, at least all night.”

“Why are you here…? Beside me, I mean?”

“Wanted to make sure you didn’t die in your sleep,” Gabriel’s tone was light. “Didn’t feel like explaining to the cops why your corpse was hanging out in my bed, and in my nice, cozy bathrobe no less.”

Jack shifted, trying to pull the blanket layers tighter around himself, but his efforts didn’t seem to do much good. He was still shivering. “I can’t get warm. I don’t want to ask any more of you, Gabriel, but the most logical way to—”

“You done puking?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“Alright.” Before Gabriel’s mind had time to tell the rest of him how bad an idea it was, he was already under the covers, wrapping his arms around Jack, pulling him to his chest with the sole mission of keeping him warm. For some reason, it didn’t feel wrong to do so, and when Gabriel glanced down at Jack he found him pushed up into the crook of his neck, carefully slotted against Gabriel’s body. “This isn’t something I normally do.” _Or get to._

“Noted,” Jack said quietly. There was a long pause, and Gabriel focused on Jack’s breathing. “Me neither.”

“You alright with it?” Gabriel asked.

“I wouldn’t have asked if I had thought otherwise. It made the most sense.” Jack said with a yawn. “You’re very warm.” He shifted to push closer, and Gabriel tightened his hold, feeling Jack’s body relax. His shivering took a few moments to stop, and soon Jack’s breathing steadied, heart beating in time.

It wasn’t long before Jack was out.

Gabriel sighed, settling in. He was tired too.

 

 

 

_This guy…_

Everything about that moment, about holding the man who’d wrecked his shop, who until then, he hadn’t spent more than five minutes interacting with, should have felt wrong, but instead Gabriel was comfortable. He was more comfortable than he’d been in a long while, and that knowledge gave his thoughts enough confidence to wander.

_Maybe he is Unmarked like me…_

Gabriel hadn’t actually seen a mark on Jack’s body, not that he’d been looking real hard, but marks were almost always on the wrist or forearm, and Jack’s had been bare, like his own.

_Don’t get hopeful Gabe. The universe isn’t that nice, especially to you._

He’d always been a bit (okay, definitely a huge understatement) bitter not having received a mark of his own. It was nothing short of tragic watching all of his friends get theirs, asking his mother with a big smile when his would show, and realizing, as he grew out of his teens, that he’d never been meant to have one. The universe had decided to deprive him of the happiness nearly everyone else was given.

So, Gabriel would find his own happiness, carve his own way. He’d worked hard at odd jobs for years to get enough capital to not only open a music shop, but put himself through school, which he did online. With a degree in Business Management and his best friend by his side, he’d made his own reality.

And that should have done it, should have been enough, but Gabriel wasn’t happy. Not completely.

Loneliness was a shitty companion, and as he felt Jack’s breath against his skin, he thought, for a moment, that it didn’t have to be his only one. He had originally wanted to ask Jack out. Of course, that was before he’d found out who he really was...

Gabriel closed his eyes briefly. _Does it matter?_

Sure, he'd been livid about his shop, but time had at least caused him to accept it. And Jack seemed… _Sympathetic, afraid, lost._

He cast his gaze downward, shadows caressing Jack’s squared jaw, sharp nose, and defined cheeks. Gabriel could see the clumped patterns of soft freckles that dotted his skin. Jack was smiling again, as if he belonged there, and Gabriel didn’t feel the need to argue that notion.

Gabriel decided then he’d at least talk to Jack some more, try to get to know him, and, if he was lucky, maybe he’d work up the courage to ask for that date if that was something Jack was interested in as well.

He’d never gained anything by not trying, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a major need for soft things when I wrote this. :3 
> 
> Sorry I keep posting these after I get off work. I think I edited out all of the typos. If you find any, let me know.


	4. Strange Bedfellows

When Jack woke he was alone, well, sort of. He noticed a note on the bedside table next to a full glass of water. It read:

_Drink me. I brought your clothes over from your apartment. They're on the end of the bed. We're going to have to talk about the whole shoplifting thing and that stack of money. I left you my slippers if your feet get cold. Hope you're feeling better. Come on out when you're ready to try to eat._

_-Gabriel_

Right. Vague memories of the past few cycles were coming into focus. Violent illness. Fever. Chills. The warmth of Gabriel's body pressed against his. Gabriel had helped him through it, and he'd done it just because Jack was in trouble.

Jack stared at the water before he took the glass and quickly downed it. He then fumbled to turn on the lamp. True to his word, an outfit was set out at the bottom of the bed. Jack slipped on the undergarment and the shirt, ignoring the pants in favor of keeping the robe on, securing the tie tightly around his waist.

He stood slowly. _Not dizzy this time._ But he did feel weak. And cold.

Jack eyed the two plush lumps on the floor near the edge of the bed. They were some sort of creature; identical in shape, black with white faces, glossy eyes, and tiny beaks. He assumed they were the slippers Gabriel had mentioned, and while he wasn't certain he wanted to stick his feet into the holes on their backs, the man hadn't led him astray so far…

_These had better not be alive._

Jack slipped a foot into one, and thankfully, he didn't lose it. He let out a sigh of relief, putting the other one on as he grabbed all of the blankets at once and draped them over his head, pulling them around his body. He trudged out of the bedroom to search for Gabriel.

Sounds drew him down the hallway, and he ended up in a large living area. Gabriel was sitting with his back to Jack, watching a screen, light brushing the defined muscles of his exposed shoulders and neck. He wore a sleeveless shirt and a cap atop his head.

Jack cleared his throat, and Gabriel paused what was on the screen, turning around. He scanned Jack briefly. “Still cold?”

“A bit, yes.”

“Anything else?”

His limbs cried at him to sit down. “Not really.” His stomach growled loudly.

Gabriel stood and walked over to Jack, placing a hand on his back to guide him over to the couch, mindful not to trip on Jack's blanket train. Jack sat, sinking into the cushions, and he watched Gabriel scoop up parts of the blankets, tucking him in, making sure Jack was fully covered.

“Stay there. I'll be right back,” Gabriel said, shuffling out of the room.

Jack pulled himself a bit deeper into his cocoon. Gabriel was an interesting man. A normal one would have turned Jack in. A cruel one would have let him suffer. In a multiverse that was often out for its own gains, it was refreshing to find someone who didn't seem to be, at least not entirely. Few creatures were free of their own self-desire, and those that were had no autonomy to speak of.

It took some time for Gabriel to return, and when he did he was carrying a plate and another glass. “This isn’t going to taste all that good, but if you keep it down I’ll make you something better later.”

“What is it?”

“Ginger ale and dry toast.” He offered them to Jack.

Jack stared at him, unsure.

“It's safe to eat. Promise.”

Jack worked his hands out of the blankets to accept. “Thank you, Gabriel.” He immediately tried the toast. It was dry, but not unpleasant. As he ate, Jack watched Gabriel sit in a chair adjacent from him.

“So, spaceman,” he said, “want to try again now that you're not knocking on Death’s door? Where are you from? And don't give me a smart ass answer.”

“Not from space,” Jack snapped, spitting crumbs. He swallowed the food in his mouth before speaking again. “From the space between spaces.”

“What does that even…” Gabriel shook his head. “What are you building in the other room, some sort of portal?”

Jack nearly spat out the ginger ale. “No of course not. What gave you that idea.”

“It looks like something from fucking Stargate.”

“Stargates…” Jack scoffed. “Those are only good for travel across space in one dimension, not between them.” He froze. _Void end me._

Gabriel quirked a brow. His tone was even. “So you're an interdimensional traveler then?” He leaned forward, smirking. “Is that why you're so weird, ‘Mr. I Put Poutine on My Pizza’?”

“And Coke.”

“You what?”

“I dumped the Coca-Cola on it as well. It was… There's no way I was _supposed_ to drink something that sweet. It had to be meant to season the slop you call food.”

“Says the guy who ate nine anchovy pizzas from the one place in town, ” Gabriel held up a finger, shaking it, “that somehow keeps skirting by on health inspections.”

“Well, I wasn’t aware of that.” _Or most things in this realm, really._ Jack sipped the ginger ale.

Gabriel shook his head. “Still haven't really given me an answer.”

“Mmm, that's as much as you're getting.” Jack declared. “I thank you for your help, but I don't think I'll be staying.”

“Jack.”

“Gabriel.”

“You’re not really in any condition to be leaving, not to mention you don't have any food, or a bed, and Jack,” he let out an exasperated sigh, “I'm not about to let you starve or sleep on the floor, not when I…” He averted his gaze, staring at the table. Jack watched him nervously knead the flesh at the base of his thumb. “I don’t have anyone else living here.” _I’m all alone._ Jack heard, Gabriel’s voice suddenly ringing out in his mind. “There's plenty of room.” There it was again: _I don’t want to be._

Jack blinked hard. Hearing voices… that was a new one for this realm. He must have landed harder than he thought…

Gabriel slowly looked up at Jack.

“You want me to stay with you?” Jack asked.

“You said it best this morning:” Gabriel shrugged, “it makes the most sense.”

Jack’s mind drifted to the hazy memory of him falling asleep against Gabriel’s chest… “Yes, I suppose it does.” He finished the ginger ale. “Is there another reason?”

“I’m not trying to be disingenuous, if that’s what you mean. I don’t really know much about you, but no one deserves to live like you’ve been. You’re a stranger here, I get it, but you should at least try to take care of yourself, learn a bit about where you are,” Gabriel folded his arms, “and if this extension of my hospitality stops you from having to steal, then it’s for the better.”

Jack felt a tug in his chest, and the echo of Gabriel’s voice, the haunting dirge of ‘ _I’m all alone_ ’ filling the tense silence between them. Gabriel was, from what Jack could gather, a good person, and he did have a point: Jack needed to tend to his own needs if he had any hope of going home. He took a deep breath, “Alright. I'll stay.”

Gabriel nodded. “You can have the bed.”

“And you’ll sleep…?”

“Couch.” He pointed. “Where you’re sitting.”

His answer, for a reason Jack couldn’t pinpoint, didn’t sit well with him, but he let it go. Being that close to Gabriel had been a necessity, nothing more. _Then why is the idea of doing it again so enticing?_

“You okay?” Gabriel asked.

“Hm?” Jack snapped his head up. He only realized then that he’d been staring at his empty plate. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine.”

“First thing you have to learn about planet Earth…” Gabriel’s brows knit together. “The Earth Realm?  Earth Dimension?”

“Any,” Jack said.

“Right, so, when people say they’re ‘fine’ here, Jack, it usually means they’re really the furthest thing from it. I know from experience…”

“It really is nothing, Gabriel.” _Nothing I can act on._ “And I thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I don’t think I can express that enough. The same sincerity goes for your shop… I…” _I shouldn’t be telling him this._ “Landing on it was bad luck. My portal spit me out in the sky and I had nowhere to go but down. Your realm, sadly, has gravity.”

“I see.” Gabriel shifted in his seat. “Gravity not a thing where you come from?”

“Where I'm from, yes, though there are plenty of realms without it.”

Gabriel nodded, clearing his throat, “You didn’t hurt yourself, taking a fall like that, did you? I assume not because of the shield but…”

“I didn’t.” Jack smiled a little, giving an affirming nod. No, he'd walked away with little more than a mild headache (from frustration not injury as his scans had later indicated).

Gabriel took a moment before he spoke again, “How was the toast? Settling okay?”

“Seems to be.”

“I’d ask what you like to eat, but you’ve never had anything from around here other than the junk you got sick on. Sit tight.” Gabriel stood, taking Jack’s plate and glass, which he set on a small table in front of the couch.

He then made sure Jack was tucked in, very gently pushing the blankets between him and the cushions. His touch was missed when he walked away with the dishes, leaving with Jack an image of his bright smile.

 

* * *

 

Gabriel stood over the stove wondering if he'd made a mistake. Had he been too forward with his invitation? What did Jack think of him? Neither of them had mentioned their prior cuddle session, and Gabriel had to remind himself there was no reason to. It hadn’t meant anything. It was just something Jack had needed and Gabriel had been happy to provide, unable to be idle while another suffered.

But he would have been lying if he said he hadn’t enjoyed it. The closeness was… His gaze drifted to his bare arms, unmarked save for a few scars.

_Keep dreaming Gabe, it’s not happening._

He broke up the eggs in the frying pan with his spatula, grinding the edge into the bottom as if he could actually break it. He laughed to himself, finding it funny how long he’d managed on his own, just fine by his standards, until Jack dropped into his life. His toes tapped against the cold tile floor, and Gabriel briefly regretted giving Jack his slippers, pretty surprised he’d actually worn them.

Gabriel flipped the scrambled eggs, heading over to his fridge to snag Jack more ginger ale and himself a glass of orange juice. He made sure everything was properly cooked before dumping the eggs onto plates and heading back into the living room.

Jack had scooted over, his body pushed into the corner of the couch, feet propped up on the coffee table, Gabriel’s barn owl slippers poking out. Other than his face, the rest of Jack had vanished into the blanket sea.

“Comfortable?” He asked, amused.

“Very.”

Gabriel offered Jack the plate and glass, which Jack took. He brought the plate to his nose, sniffed the eggs, and almost immediately started shoveling them into his mouth. It didn’t take him long to clear the plate and any questions Gabriel may have had regarding how Jack could eat nine pizzas were effectively quelled.

He was about to sit down in the chair when he saw Jack shake his head, swallowing, “I moved to make room for you.” He motioned to the empty space beside him with a nod. “It was rude of me to take up all of the space.”

“Thanks Jack. I take it the eggs were good?” Gabriel said with a chuckle as he sat down, leaving a cushion of space between them.

“Quite. I wouldn’t mind if you made them for me every day.”

Gabriel tried not to choke on his food, glancing at Jack to see if he’d noticed. Jack was sipping his drink, and if he had, there was no indication of it. “Too bad we slept through the day and it’s now one in the morning. Guess there are worse things to have screwed up my sleep for.” He turned his head to Jack. “Want to watch a movie?”

“Movie?”

“Uh… moving pictures. Watching a story instead of reading it.”

“Oh,” Jack said. “So like a holo recording only not three dimensional?”

_Holograms. Right. Sci-fi bullshit._ “Basically,” he hit the Netflix button and handed Jack the remote, watching him fiddle with it. It didn’t take too long for Jack to figure out how it worked, though Gabriel kept his eyes on him, finding some level of amusement at the array of expressions that crossed Jack’s face as he scrolled through movie choices.

“Gabriel,” Jack’s eyes narrowed and he leaned forward out of his blanket cowl, “what’s a Babadook? Did I say that right?”

“Yeah, you did.” Gabriel leaned back, setting his plate in his lap. “It’s a horror movie. Scary shit and what not. It’s a good watch if you’re up for it?”

Jack gave him a smile that slowly transformed into a smirk, “Given some of the beings I’ve faced during my travels I highly doubt I’m going to find it scary.”

Gabriel pointed at Jack with his fork. “Want to find out?”

In response Jack hit the play button on the remote.

Gabriel had seen the movie before, so he spent a lot of his time shooting curious glances at Jack, who seemed focused on what he was watching. Light danced across his face, highlighting his statuesque profile, and Gabriel ached to be close to Jack, to pepper soft kisses on his cheeks, to tell him in hushed whispers that even though he was so far away from where he wanted to be he was welcome.

Gabriel quickly shook his head.

_Where is all of this coming from?_

He finished his food and folded his arms, leaning back into the couch. Gabriel had never felt this way about anyone before, had never felt so drawn to another person, and he wasn’t sure what to do about it, other than try to ignore it.

“Oh, now that’s terrifying,” Jack said.

The characters on screen were reading the Babadook’s book for the first time.

“What is?”

“The monster has a hat.”

Gabriel turned his head, giving Jack a confused look.

“There are many types of strange beings out there Gabriel. Some like to impersonate hats, turning the wearer into a mindless brain puppet, while others attach themselves to your head and eat your insides through your skull.”

“Uh…” Gabriel blinked. “Do you deal with things like that often?”

Jack chuckled. “More than I’d care to admit. Maybe I’ll tell you about them sometime. For now, it’s nice to be somewhere peaceful.”

Gabriel heard Jack sigh, and he tried to focus on the movie again, but he found his mind wandering. What places had Jack visited? What strange and dangerous creatures had he encountered? What kind of life did he lead before he ended up in Toronto of all places? It, at the very least, sounded far more exciting than anything Gabriel was doing, and he decided then that he shouldn’t get attached to Jack, knowing full well he likely wanted to return to his life of adventure.

They were both silent for a while, focused on the screen, and it wasn’t until they’d finished watching the part where Amelia confronts the visage of her dead husband that Jack spoke up again, “She seems so unhappy…”

“Loneliness will do that,” Gabriel said without thinking.

_Fuck._

“Is that a common occurrence in this realm?”

Gabriel couldn’t look at Jack. “No. It’s not. Just for the fortunate few.”

Jack fell silent. Neither of them spoke, continuing to watch. As they approached the climax of the movie, Jack shifted beside him and slowly scooted into Gabriel’s space until he was pressed into the side of his body, using his shoulder as a pillow.

 

 

 

Gabriel couldn’t help but smile. By any sense of logic, he shouldn’t be comfortable with what Jack was doing, but, somehow, being close to him again just felt right.

“You cold?” Jack asked quietly.

“No,” Gabriel said, but found himself tugging at one of Jack’s blankets anyway. Jack readily let them go, and Gabriel joined Jack inside of his cocoon, the only thing stopping the skin of his arm from touching Jack’s was that damned bathrobe. He wasn’t complaining though.

When the movie was over Jack spoke. “Did you want to watch another one? Your pick.” He offered Gabriel the remote.

“Works for me,” he took it. “I’ve got no where else I need to be.” Gabriel scrolled through the menu and Jack let out a sigh of contentment. _Or would rather go._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a sap. Sap. Sap. Sap. And yes, I actually did watch the entire Babadook (again) in order to take notes for that short inclusion in this chapter.


	5. The Spider's Web

Jack heard voices.

“Sombra, you’ll wake them.”

“Chill _araña_ , that's kind of the idea.”

“Did you at least get a good picture?”

A hushed cackle. “Several.”

Jack opened his eyes to see a small woman with rich brown skin, purple hair, and matching lipstick holding what he'd since learned was a phone close to his face. He froze.

“ _Buenos dias,”_ she said in a welcoming tone. “You must be Jack.”

Behind her was a pale, slim woman with a long black ponytail and heeled boots. She was shaking her head.

“Who are you exactly?” he asked, only taking his eyes off her when he heard a snore from Gabriel. The side of Gabriel's head was resting atop his, and Jack didn't dare move. “And how did you get in?”

“Gabriel didn't mention me.” She tsked, splaying a hand over her chest. “I'm hurt. Call me Sombra, and that _belleza_ is my soulmate, Amélie. We're Gabriel's best friends.” She held up a key. “And we have access.”

_Soulmates?_ Jack had heard stories about the concept before, and knew some dimensions were based around it, but where he was from soulmates were just… wishful thinking. He'd never considered they existed in the Earth Realm, and found himself scanning Sombra’s form, spying an image of a spider on the inside of her right forearm.

“Ah.” _They're not threats then._ “And yes, I'm Jack.”

A big, unnerving smile spread across Sombra’s face and she dropped to her haunches, elbows on her thighs, head in her hands. “So, how did Gabriel ask you out?”

Jack’s brow shot up and his heartbeat quickened. His breath caught in his throat. “He was going to?” _You shouldn't care Jack. You don't belong here. You need to get home._

Sombra rolled her eyes and groaned. “ _Ese bastardo_ , he chickened out.”

Amélie chuckled, and she went to sit in the adjacent chair, crossing her legs. “Well obviously he did something right _chérie_.” She smiled wryly.

“True.” Sombra tapped her chin. “I think Gabriel likes you.”

“I wouldn’t be here if he didn't to some extent,” Jack said matter-of-factly.

“No, I mean _really_ likes you. Gabriel is a light sleeper. We should have easily woken him up by now, but look at him, ” she pointed, “completely out.”

“It's not me. He just… he hasn't been getting any rest. _That_ was my fault.” Jack sighed quickly. What was going on? He should be focused on building the portal cutter, not distracted with… _Gabriel._ Merely thinking his name made Jack happy.

“Can I ask you something Jack?”

_This could be bad…_ “Depends on what it is.”

“Are you Unmarked?”

“Excuse me?”  

“Sombra, must you be so tactless?” Amélie snapped.

Sombra flicked her fingers dismissively at Amélie. “It's kind of important. And I doubt he'd be cuddling with Gabriel if he had a soulmate, Amélie. I'm just confirming before I move on to what I was actually going to ask.” She smiled at Jack.

He stared at Sombra, tensing. She was someone he needed to be cautious around. “I… no. I don't have a mark. Why?”

“ _Bueno._ ” She clapped her hands. “Amélie and I ended up canceling our dinner date a couple of nights ago because _someone_ bailed, so I’d like to invite you,” the tip of her finger touched the end of his nose and he flinched, “to one tonight.”

“With the two of you?” He motioned between Sombra and Amélie.

“And Gabriel. As your date.”

Jack’s eyes widened. “As my…” _Say no Jack. You have work to do._ But, he didn't want to. He wanted to go out with Gabriel, to spend more time with him… and Gabriel _had_ intended to ask him. _No. Tell her no._ It was almost certainly against The Explorer’s Code. He shouldn’t make himself known, shouldn’t be seen in public spaces, but as much as his mind protested, his heart protested tenfold. _Why do I feel like this?_ “May I suggest a modification to your plan?”

Sombra quirked a brow. “Go ahead. I'm listening.”

“I’ve been ill, and even with Gabriel’s excellent care, I still don't feel recovered enough to go anywhere tonight. Would it be alright if we postponed?” He hoped they would say yes. It would give him more time to try to convince himself of the sensible option, though he found himself leaning into the solid warmth of Gabriel’s body at his side.

Sombra looked back to Amélie.

“I haven't made the reservations yet,” she replied. “That would be fine.”

“You have your phone?” Sombra asked him.

“Uh… No. It's at my apartment,” he said, hoping she wouldn't catch his lie.

“Alright, well Gabe’s got our numbers. Text one of us when you ask him, and we’ll take care of the rest.” Sombra said. “We’ll leave you two alone.” She sneered

“It was a pleasure meeting you Jack.” Amélie took Sombra’s arm and pulled her up.

“ _Adios_ Jack.” Sombra said, taking Amélie’s hand. They left Gabriel’s apartment together, and all Jack could focus on was how their fingers entwined, connecting the hearts of two beings to become one.

 

* * *

 

It took Gabriel a moment to realize what, or rather whom, he’d been using as a pillow.

“Hello, Gabriel,” he heard Jack say as he lifted his head, peering down at Jack who was still resting on his shoulder. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, actually.”

“Good.” Jack paused. “Your friends stopped by.”

Gabriel sat up immediately, jostling Jack as he pulled away. “They what? How long were they here?” _I knew I shouldn't have given Sombra a key._ He didn’t really want to know what kind of trouble she’d caused.

Jack paused the movie he was watching, attention on Gabriel. “I have a few questions.”

_Shit._ “What did she tell you?”

“Nothing to be concerned with,” Jack said with a smile.

His reassurance only made Gabriel feel uneasy. As much as he loved his best friend, Sombra was trying at times; she often didn't have a filter.

“Is it alright if I ask them?”

Gabriel scoffed. “This is coming from the guy who's barely given me a straight answer since we met.”

“Alright,” Jack said with a sigh. “You've got me there. I’ll tell you what. You answer me, and I’ll do the same for you. Okay?”

“Really?” Gabriel smirked, running a hand through his beard. “No frustrating vague bullshit?”

“Really.”

It sounded too good. Gabriel began to tense as he wondered what Sombra had told Jack. “Okay. What’s on your mind?” He looked at Jack, noticing how he was idly tapping his hands against his lap.

“Well, your realm is based on soulmates, correct?”

“Yes.” He didn't like where this was going.

“And you…” Jack’s gaze met his, though hesitantly. “I'm sorry if I'm overstepping, but Sombra implied you didn't have one, that you lack a mark.”

“I don’t, no.”

Jack paused, gauging Gabriel’s reaction. Gabriel wondered if Jack realized how close to thin ice he was treading. He took a deep breath, bracing himself for what was coming. It wasn’t Jack’s fault; he didn’t know. Gabriel could handle it.

“Why is that exactly?”

“Bad luck,” Gabriel replied, trying not to sound bitter, but by the way Jack frowned he could tell he hadn’t been successful. “It’s not something I had any control over, so I don’t really have a better answer. I just know that people like me are a very small percent of the overall population. We don’t have marks, or the connections that come with them. A lot of us don’t end up with a partner,” _And a lot of us are disappearing into nothing_. “It’s just how it is.” He hoped Jack wasn’t going to go any further.

“I see,” he said. He cleared his throat, shifting positions on the couch so his back was against the armrest, but he was still facing Gabriel, giving him some space. He didn’t actually want it, but said nothing to the contrary. “Your turn then.”

“Where are you actually from?”

“A dimension called Irixia, far across what we call The Fabric. Think of it as an infinite blanket, threads of space and time woven together, and where they intersect is a new dimension. Explorers cut through The Fabric with our portal technology to map and explore new places of being. Your realm has been visited before, though not in a long time.”

“Mmm, so no one comes here.”

“No.”

Gabriel shrugged. “Not too surprised I guess. There’s nothing special here. Probably boring for someone like you.”

“You’re being presumptuous Gabriel.” Jack smiled a bit.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Jack,” Gabriel dead panned, though he couldn’t help but noticed the small blush spreading over Jack’s cheeks.

Jack averted his eyes. “I’m not bored. I actually don’t get to relax that often, especially in my line of work. Since I’m still feeling weak, I’m not against lounging around some more, if you want to, that is.”

Gabriel chuckled. “I suppose I can manage that.”

“Gabriel.”

“Hm?”

“I didn’t upset you before with my line of questioning, did I?”

“I’m fine Jack. So are you.” He nodded once in affirmation, immediately wanting to hide his face with his hands. Jack didn’t seem to catch on, thankfully.

“Good. It wasn’t my intention. You’ve been more than kind to me. The last thing I want is to bring you harm.”

Gabriel handed Jack the remote. “Why don’t you pick us out some more stuff to watch. I’ll go see what I can make for us to eat.”

“Would it be alright if I followed you? I’d like to watch you cook. It’s a bit unfair that you’re making me meals and I can’t do anything in return.”

He nodded, standing, motioning for Jack to follow with a wave, and together they headed into the kitchen.

 

* * *

 

Gabriel had showed Jack how to make a simple pasta dish. Baked Mac and Cheese it was called, and Jack couldn’t help but eat himself into a food coma. He’d wished he’d had his glasses so he could have recorded the process.

They’d spent the rest of the day curled up on Gabriel’s couch, watching more movies, and, inevitably, gravitating toward each other again. Jack had ended up against Gabriel’s chest with one of the other man’s arms locked securely around him.

Jack had woken up first the next morning. He’d tucked Gabriel in, shedding the blanket layers, and took a few all too brief moments to just admire him.

They hadn’t talked about what they’d been doing, and it wasn’t until he and Gabriel were no longer touching that he found himself able to reflect on it. Jack had never spent nearly all of his time with another person just cuddling, being close to them like he had with Gabriel, but he was… Jack could try to put into words to how he felt, but none of them would do it any justice. He was comfortable near Gabriel, safe, happy, and, only then it occurred to Jack that he probably shouldn’t be. _I can’t be getting involved with someone. I’m an Explorer._

But there was a pull in his chest, and the more he stared at Gabriel’s peaceful, sleeping form, the more he wanted to sneak back into his embrace, cuddle up against him, and go back to bed.

Jack decided it was a good time to go back to his apartment.

He was still in Gabriel’s bathrobe and slippers as he shuffled nextdoor. The first thing he noticed when he entered was an unpleasant musty odor, lingering in the air in a haze. He glared at the pile of garbage in the corner of the room, vowing to deal with it later as he marched to the bathroom. Jack immediately turned up his nose and slammed the door.

_I’m not dealing with that though._

As far as he was concerned, that bathroom was a biohazard he was not equipped to handle at present, or ever. With a look of repulsion he went into the bedroom to change into a clean set of clothes, neatly folding Gabriel’s bathrobe. He kept the slippers on however, wiggling his toes inside the plush material.

“You’re real attached to those huh?”

Jack spun around to see Gabriel standing in the entryway to his bedroom. He was still in sweatpants and a sleeveless black shirt, pushing his dark brown curls away from his forehead. Gabriel yawned.

“Did you want them back?”

“Eventually,” he smiled, leaning on the frame. “They look good on you, real cute.”

_Did Gabriel just call me… cute?_ Jack fought to keep his composure. “Oh, here,” he offered Gabriel his bathrobe.

He nodded and took it, slipping it on, rolling his shoulders. Gabriel folded his arms, looking at Jack. He still appeared tired.

“I didn’t expect you’d be awake,” Jack said, going over to the table with his replicator, gauntlet, and glasses.

“Heard a door slam.” Gabriel quickly raised a hand. “Figured it was you, and no, I’m not mad, so don’t worry about it.”

“Oh good. I wasn’t planning to wake you with loud noises until later,” Jack said, smirking a bit as he put his glasses on, the screens inside the lenses coming to life. With some tinkering, he’d figured out how to hook them up to the Internet with stolen wi-fi, which he realized was probably Gabriel’s.

“Going back to work on your Stargate?” Gabriel asked, suddenly beside him, eyeing the money pile.

“Dimensional portal cutter.”

“ _Stargate_.” He felt Gabriel playfully nudge him with an elbow. Then he pointed to Jack’s gauntlet. “Is this what lets you do the teleporting thing?”

“It does, yes…” Jack side-eyed him, noticing how Gabriel’s expression had lit up. It was adorable.

“Would I be able to, uh, try it maybe?”

He faced Gabriel, putting a hand on his shoulder. “It’s not possible.” Gabriel frowned, deflating. Jack realized then how much he didn’t like seeing Gabriel unhappy. “You can attempt to use it, but it will do nothing. The device is calibrated to my genetic makeup, and works for me only.”

“That something to do with your Explorer’s Code?”

Jack grabbed Gabriel’s forearms. “How did you know about that?”

“You told me about it when you had that fever. Sang it, actually. I would have found it funny had I not thought then you might be dying.”

Jack let him go and headed into the living room, looming over his workstation, selecting tools. “It would be best to forget that.”

“Can’t. I memorized it. Sounds a bit… vague.”

“They’re meant to be in order to give the Explorer a little room for interpretation, and exception, but the base tenants are solid.” He went over to the portal to resume his work.

Gabriel stood off to the side, still in his view. He counted on his fingers. “Don’t disrupt the natural order. Observe with minimal impact. Self preservation is paramount.” He smirked. “You know, I think it’s safe to say you fucked up the first two.”

Jack gave a heavy sigh. “The first breach in code was an accident. I had no control over that. The rest was done in the name of my own preservation, and as such allows me to bend the other two.”

Gabriel paused, appearing deep in thought for a moment. He folded his arms. “Okay so you’re basically allowed to do anything to save your own ass, but what about someone else?”

“I’m not allowed to interfere. If someone is to die, then it is what was meant.”

Jack couldn’t help but be bothered by the mixture of disgust and concern that overtook Gabriel’s features. “So you’d just stand idle when you could have prevented someone’s pain? Have you done that before? What if it were me, Jack?”

The answer came to him immediately, the speed and certainty taking him by surprise, “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you Gabriel.” Jack turned away from his work, facing him. “And to your other question, no. I haven’t been presented with that situation yet.”

Gabriel nodded, relief evident.

Jack returned to his work, and silence reigned between them for a while. Jack hadn’t really thought about the connotations of the code he followed. He’d known it since he was a child. His father had been an Explorer, and when he died, Jack had followed in his place, taking everything he’d learned, including The Explorer’s Code, to heart. His father was probably rolling around in his grave from his recent slights. Was Jack really willing to do further damage for one man?

“Gabriel,” he said.

“Jack,” Gabriel said in unison. “Sorry, you first.”

“No, no, it’s alright, go ahead,” Jack urged.

Gabriel nodded and cleared his throat. “Seeing as you’ve already damaged your code, I was wondering if you’d like to work on shattering it?”

Jack’s heart fluttered, remembering what Sombra has said. _He’s going to ask me._ “What did you have in mind?”

Gabriel closed the gap between them, reaching out to gently take one of Jack’s hands in his. He smiled, “I’d like to ask you out to dinner, maybe show you some more of the city.” He rubbed a thumb over Jack’s knuckles. “I’m not wrong to think there’s something between us, am I?”

“No, you’re not,” Jack replied, speaking forcefully, as if he were also trying to assure himself that it was alright. “It was funny you asked, actually, because I was just about to ask you the same question.” He placed his other hand atop Gabriel’s, “Of course I’ll go out with you.”

“Great,” Gabriel laughed. “I’m glad. Not going to lie, part of me was panicking at the thought of you rejecting me, because it would have made all of the time we spent cuddling real awkward for me.”

Jack squeezed Gabriel’s hand. No, he shouldn’t be getting involved, but, he was, and he wanted to. He _wanted_ to spend more time with Gabriel, “Well, you’re lucky you’re so nice to cuddle with.” They stood there, just smiling at each other, basking in the happiness of the other, though it was fleeting.

Gabriel looked away from him. “I should have asked this before, but you don’t have a mark, right?”

Jack let go of Gabriel and rolled up the long sleeves of his shirt, showing off his bare arms. “None that I can see.” _You don't have to be alone Gabriel._

“Had to be sure. I take it soulmates aren't a thing back in Irixia?”

“Soulmates are stories, legends in some cases. No one in my realm has one, and even if we did I doubt it would stop me from being attracted to you.”

“Save the flattery until I've at least bought you dinner. Speaking of,” he put a hand on his hip, motioning to Jack with the other, “I have to figure out where to take you.”

“Message your friends,” he said. “They seemed set on taking us out to eat. Sombra had indicated you owed her, I believe.”

“Yeah, I kinda skipped out on her double date idea because you were sick. It's up to you if you want to go or not Jack. I'm not going to drag you into Sombra’s schemes.”

Jack mulled it over briefly. _Shatter The Code, right?_ “I think I'd like to meet the other people in your life, Gabriel. And, it would be rude of me to decline.” He watched Gabriel nod in understanding, catching a small hint of disappointment. “You and I can do something alone after, if you want.”

“I'll hold you to it,” Gabriel said, starting to walk out. “Going to grab a shower, and call Som and Amélie. I'll leave the front door unlocked so you can take one later.” He paused in the doorway. “And Jack.”

“Yeah?”

“I'm looking forward to spending more time with you,” Gabriel said with sincerity.

Warmth swelled in the center of his chest, and for the first time in a long while, Jack truly felt alive. “I am too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gabe's a dork, and they're really gay. <3


	6. A Night to Remember

Amélie had, of course, chosen one of the most expensive restaurants in town for their double dinner date. Before Gabriel could lodge a protest however, she’d insisted on paying for everything, citing that he ‘deserved to be treated’. He wasn’t normally keen on that, preferring to pay his own way, but she’d been vehement, and he’d eventually resigned to her wishes.

So, one trip to the also incredibly-out-of-Gabriel’s-price-range tailor later (he and Jack had lacked what Amélie called ‘proper dinner attire’, which she’d also paid for) they were sitting in the back of a taxi en route to the restaurant. Gabriel was still a little dumbfounded that he was going on a date, and one with Jack, no less. He’d never imagined he’d be doing this at all, even with Sombra’s urgings. Jack was… Jack was important to him, he realized, and he wanted, more than anything, to make it work.

 

 

 

“You look good,” Gabriel said, eyeing Jack and the way his navy blue dinner suit hugged his toned chest. “I’m glad they got your measurements right after you confused the fuck out of the tailor.”

Jack smirked, folding his arms, feigning indignance, “It’s not my fault none of you use logical units of measure.”

Gabriel snorted laughter. Jack had rattled off his exact measurements in USMs (universal standard measure), then had a hell of a time attempting to figure out how to convert them to metrics instead of just letting the tailor do her job. “You’re with someone who lived in the United States. Don’t talk to me about illogical measurement systems.” Jack gave him a confused look, and Gabriel put a hand on his shoulder, realizing Jack hadn’t gotten the joke. “Sorry. I’ll show you what I mean later.”

“It’s alright. For the record,” Jack smiled, “you look good too.”

“Thanks Jack.” He adjusted the lapels of his own dinner suit, which was a deep red.

“So, as I was wondering how your friend could afford such luxuries, I looked her up on your Internet. She’s an entertainer correct? A dancer?”

“Yeah, a pretty famous one too. Does ballet.”

“I saw videos. It’s very… elegant. I think I’d like to go see it sometime, if that’s alright.”

“Of course,” Gabriel said. “We can go to one of Amélie’s shows. Hell, why don’t you ask her about it at dinner? I don’t know her schedule, but I’m sure she’s got one coming up I can take you to.”

“I will do that.” Jack looked out the window, hands in his lap. Gabriel noticed he was kneading the skin between his thumb and index finger. Tentatively, he slid a hand over Jack’s, staying his movements. Jack’s eyes met his.

“Nervous?”

“A bit,” Jack admitted. “I’ve faced horrors beyond human comprehension, but this is… well, this is new to me.”

Gabriel took a deep breath. “Me too, but we’ll do it together, yeah?”

“We will,” Jack said with a nod.

Gabriel went to squeeze Jack’s hand, adjusting so he wouldn’t crush his fingers, and ended up pushing up his sleeve, noticing the glint of metal. “Where’d you get a watch from?”

“Oh,” Jack looked down, “it’s not a watch.” He lifted his hand and Gabriel’s left his. Gabriel’s eyes widened as Jack’s gauntlet formed from the watch, covering Jack’s hand like a second skin.

“Holy shit.”

“I don’t go anywhere without it.”

Gabriel glanced at the cab driver, who seemed to be ignoring them, jamming out to some classic rock. “You’ve got to be breaking the Laws of Physics with that thing.”

“Only as you know them.” He flexed his fingers and the gauntlet quickly retracted into the much smaller object. “There are a lot of things your people have yet to realize,” Gabriel opened his mouth to ask the wave of questions that were about to spill from his lips, but Jack continued, “and I don’t intend to spoil the fun.” Jack gave him a knowing smirk.

“You sure you couldn’t maybe just a little bit?”

“Don’t push it,” Jack replied, though his tone was playful.

Gabriel planned to later.

The taxi stopped, Gabriel paid the driver, and they got out, standing in front of a restaurant made of black marble and embossed gold. The words ‘ _Le Cygne Noir_ ’ were set in sweeping script above a set of plate glass doors, which had two swan statues on either side.

“The Black Swan,” Jack said. “What an interesting looking bird.”

Gabriel side-eyed him. “How the fuck do you know French?”

“Google translate.”

Gabriel blinked. Jack didn’t have a phone or any other device he could see that would be able to give him that information, as far as he knew. The only thing he had on him was that gauntlet and his… “Jack, are those glasses even functional?”

“Depends on what you mean by functional. Do I need them to see? No. Do they serve a purpose? Yes.” He took them off and offered them to Gabriel.

“There are screens inside of the lenses…” Gabriel held them up to his face, eyes narrowing at the gallery of swans in his vision. “How did you hook up interdimensional tech to get you on Google?”

“With great difficulty, considering this device is controlled through a neural interface, and your networking methods are quite primitive.” Jack held out a hand and Gabriel gave him the glasses back. He put them on. “But I like challenges.”

Gabriel shook his head.

The inside of the restaurant was a excessive as the outside, exuding a ballroom feel. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the lighting warm, inviting, reflecting off the polished stone centerpieces at the tables. The lobby had a swan fountain, which had an arced garden box at the base filled with colorful flowering plants.

“May I help you sirs?” The host said.

“Party of four under Lacroix.”

“Ah, marvelous. Mrs. Lacroix and her soulmate have already arrived. Right this way gentlemen.”

He felt Jack take his hand, lacing his fingers with Gabriel’s. Gabriel squeezed, and they both followed the host through the restaurant towards the back, through another set of glass doors onto the patio, which was completely empty save for one table. The restaurant sat right on the Toronto waterfront, giving them a stunning view of a waning sun, painting a rainbow across the surface of the lake.

“There they are,” Sombra said, waving. She was dressed in a sleek purple dress with magenta accents in a similar style to Amélie’s black one. Amélie turned, offering them a smile as the host got them seated.

“Your server will be with you momentarily,” he bowed his head and left.

“You two clean up well,” Sombra remarked, smirking.

“Thanks again for the tailor Amélie,” Gabriel said.

“Not a problem. I know you don’t own a suit, and I wasn’t sure about Jack.”

“I own a few, just none within reach,” he said cheerfully, perhaps overly so. Gabriel knew he was using it as a mask.

A waitress came by then, introduced herself, and took their drink orders.

“So, Jack,” Sombra leaned forward, and Gabriel immediately shot her a glare, knowing she was about to grill his date. Jack was already nervous, and Gabriel didn’t even have to look at him to feel him tense up beside him. “How did you and Gabe end up meeting?”

Jack didn’t answer right away. He set both hands on the table. Gabriel wasn’t sure what Jack was going to say, whether he’d tell the truth or not, but he planned to support him, whatever it was. “I threw up in his apartment,” Jack replied. “Anchovy vomit, right at his doorstep. I was incredibly ill, delirious with fever, and Gabriel,” he smiled, “took me in, a complete stranger then, and helped me get well again. The rest sort of fell into place. It was, well I don't know what you'd call it, but there was a certain bit of luck to us meeting.”

 _Understatement of the century._ If Gabriel wasn’t Unmarked, he’d consider it more than just coincidence.

Sombra laughed a bit. “Good thing you’re lucky Jack, because I’m not so sure Gabriel would have asked you otherwise.”

“Shove it Sombra,” he folded his arms. “I did ask him, it just took time.” Gabriel motioned to her casually with an open palm. “Not all of us were born with the subtly of a peacock standing in the middle of a flock of doves.”

That got a laugh out of Amélie.

“Don’t take his side _araña_.” Sombra chided, looking pouty.

Amélie gave her a peck on the cheek. “You can’t win all the time _mon amour_. I think it’s great Gabriel found someone, even if it took a while.”

“I never said it wasn’t great,” Sombra said.

Their server returned with their drinks, taking their orders. Jack had nudged him under the table with his knee, and Gabriel, having taken the hint, ordered for him. The house special for the day, which was roast duck with an orange glaze, was the cheapest thing on the menu, and seemed like a safe bet for Jack to try, so so he got that for the both of them.

“I’d like to know a bit more about you. Where are you from Jack?” Amélie asked.

Jack sipped his water, tone even, “Outer space.”

Sombra nearly spit out her wine.

“I’m kidding,” Jack laughed, nudging Gabriel under the table again.

“He’s from New York,” Gabriel supplied. “Freelance travel editor. Works for a few different outlets.”

Jack nodded in affirmation.

“Oh, now that sounds exciting. I’m sure you’ve been to some marvelous places.”

“You can say that,” he paused. “Adventure is certainly the main draw, but there’s a lot more to it than that: visiting strange lands where you sometimes don’t belong, having to navigate cultures you don’t fully understand, losing sleep thinking about home and those you’ve left behind to pursue this life. My profession has perks, certainly,” he looked at Gabriel, speaking sincerely, “but there’s a lot I’ve missed out on, and I hope I can, perhaps, make up for some of that.”

Gabriel felt heat bloom in his core, spreading to his face. The light of the sun had long since faded, replaced by the stars and the lantern lights on the patio. A stillness settled; the sound of the water gently lapping the shore, the dull drone of city traffic, the caress of a cool breeze. Jack and Amelie were talking, but Gabriel didn't register their words, focused solely on the man beside him. He'd been missing out too. Something tugged at him, and he took it for yearning.

“Sombra,” Jack said, “how long have you and Gabriel known each other?”

Sombra had an elbow on the table, chin resting in her hand. Amélie whacked said elbow with a fork, which Sombra snatched, otherwise ignoring her. “Since we were kids. I think we were three, right Gabe?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. Three sounds about right. Partners in crime. Joined at the hip. She's been my curse ever since.”

Sombra scoffed. “If I'm that bad why’d you follow me to Toronto?”

Gabriel shrugged. “What kind of a friend would I be if I let you get into trouble up here all by yourself?”

“I think you've got it wrong. Trouble seems to follow you.”

“You’re right. You do.”

Sombra wadded up her cloth napkin and chucked it at Gabriel’s head, hitting his cheek. They both burst out laughing.

“I can’t take you two anywhere.” Amélie said, shaking her head.

“Hey Jack,” Sombra smacked her palm against the table, “want to hear how Gabriel got stuck in a tree?”

“You mean how _you_ got me stuck in a tree,” he pointed at Sombra.

“Sure Sombra, ” Jack replied. “I'd love to hear it.”

Sombra then proceeded to tell Jack as many embarrassing stories of Gabriel from their childhood that she could think of, including when he got stung in the ass by a nest of hornets and the first time he had to shave his head, because _someone_ thought it was a good idea to have a bubblegum blowing contest after having chewed over a dozen packs of Double Bubble. She was about halfway through the story of how they both got chased by angry geese when their food arrived.

“You had an interesting childhood,” Jack said, nudging him with a gentle elbow.

“I got in trouble a lot, mostly out of boredom; trying to test boundaries and what not. The usual kid stuff. What about you?” Gabriel started eating. It was fucking good duck. He was sure Jack would like it too.

“I spent a lot if it at home, actually, keeping my mom company. My father and I, well we have, or I guess had, the same profession. He was away a lot, but when he'd come home he'd always have such grand stories to share with us. I remember I'd sit on his lap, mom in the chair beside us, and we'd stay up for hours listening about all of the places he'd been, all of the,” he paused as if searching, “people he met.”

“What happened to him?” Sombra asked, mouth full of lobster.

“ _Sombra_.” Amélie said, continuing to scold her in French.

“He passed,” Jack said. “I'd rather not talk about it.”

Sombra and Amélie proceeded to get into an argument. Gabriel caught bits and pieces, but was more focused on Jack and how he was silently eating his meal, giving his plate a thousand yard stare. Under the table, Gabriel placed a hand on Jack's thigh, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Jack didn't seem to react at all, continuing to eat.

Gabriel removed his hand and focused on his food, not wanting to overstep and make Jack any more uncomfortable than he already was.

When Jack was done he cleared his throat, “Ladies, may I be excused.”

Sombra and Amélie paused their chatter and looked at Jack.

“Of course,” Amélie said.

“Sure,” Sombra said.

Then their focus was back on each other.

Jack got up, walking through the patio gate before disappearing around the corner of the restaurant.

“Me too,” Gabriel said, holding up a finger as he stood and went after Jack. He found him leaning against the side of the building, head back, gazing up at the stars. “Hey, you okay?”

“I don’t know.”

“What’s up?” It was probably a dumb question, a _really_ dumb question considering the previous topic of conversation, but Gabriel didn't know how else to get him talking.

“I became an Explorer because of him,” he said softly, sighing. “What am I doing Gabriel?”

“What do you mean?”

Jack pushed himself off the wall with his fingertips, walking down the alley to the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, away from Gabriel.

“I'm sorry about Sombra,” he said, finding his place at Jack's side as they walked.

“It's alright. I enjoyed meeting her and Amélie. They're not the issue.”

“Then what is?” Gabriel tensed. “Did I do something wrong?”

Jack shook his head, “No.” A pause. He kept his gaze forward. “My dad died on an expedition, as most of us hope to. He was eaten, bitten in half actually, by a Void Seeker. Nasty creatures. They sometimes follow the trails we leave behind when we cut through the Fabric to travel. He and his partner were caught by one. We buried what was left of his upper half.”

Gabriel ran a hand down his face. “Fuck. Jack, I'm sorry.”

Jack nodded.

Gabriel’s fingers brushed against Jack's, testing.

Jack took his hand. “He got a funeral with all of the honors a decorated Explorer like him deserved. The man was a legend at his job, lived and died by The Explorer’s Code, and I can't help but think: would he be ashamed of me for breaking it as I am?”

 _So that's what this was all about._ Gabriel’s grip on Jack's hand tightened. “Sometimes things go wrong,” he said. “Sometimes it's not how we planned, not according to the rules we've grown accustomed to, and the only choice we have is to fight.”

Jack gave a hum of acknowledgement.

Gabriel stopped walking, not letting go of Jack. Brown eyes met blue. “I don’t know what kind of man your dad was, but from your story earlier it sounded like he loved you.”

“He did.”

“Then I think he'd be proud of his son paving his own way.”

“Is that what I'm doing Gabriel?” Jack was closer then, the warmth of his breath ghosting Gabriel’s lips. “Is that what we're doing?”

“Only if you want it.” Gabriel slowly leaned in, closing the space between.

“I want…”

Their lips brushed only for the both of them to jolt apart, hearing a woman scream.

Gabriel's attention was was drawn to the street. A small girl was standing in the crosswalk, having bent down to retrieve a plush rabbit, and was in the path of an oncoming delivery truck, a battered weapon of dirt and rust, and it wasn’t slowing. Before Gabriel realized what was going on Jack was running towards her.

“Jack!” He shouted, reaching out as if he’d be able to pull Jack away from the danger in time.

Gabriel watched in horror as Jack scooped up the girl.

The truck collided with his body.

Pain flared in Gabriel’s chest, at his core, so intense it brought him to his knees on the sidewalk.

His vision went white.

Amidst the chaos stood the girl, but Jack was gone.

Gabriel collapsed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp, I said I was going to have fun writing this, and I did. You guys like ridiculous tropes and Sci-Fi bullshit? So do I. :) Hope everyone is enjoying the ride so far.


	7. Awakening

He’d been so stupid, blinded. Why did Jack believe, even for an instant, that he could stay in the Earth Realm?  _ Gabriel’s suggestion…  _ Jack had shattered The Code, stomped on it, and disintegrated the pieces into atoms. 

Jack bit the inside of his lip. He couldn't have remained idle, couldn't have let that innocent die, but he'd been a fool. Yes, lack of time was a factor, but even with his best efforts to help, someone had still gotten hurt.

Jack stood at the foot of Gabriel’s hospital bed, the soft light of the moon glowing against his skin, skin that had been marred by Jack's carelessness. Several bandages covered portions of Gabriel’s face: on his right cheek, over his eye, near his lip.

He was unconscious. Breathing. Alive. 

_ It could have been so much worse. It would have been my fault.  _

“I’m sorry Gabriel,” he whispered, hand to his chest, pain erupting from his core. Jack grimaced, and dropped to his knees. “I can’t stay.” 

_ I want to.  _

It hurt worse. He had to bite down on his own hand to prevent himself from crying out. Jack tasted iron.

_ What is this? _

The more he thought about leaving, the more it hurt, and the edges of his vision started to blur, head falling to rest against the end of Gabriel’s hospital bed. He wanted so badly to crawl beneath the sheets with Gabriel, to tell him how much he cared about him, how much the closeness meant, how he wanted to make them work. But, instead, he did the only thing he could do, the only thing that was right.

Jack teleported away.

Gabriel would be better off without him.

 

* * *

 

“Where's Jack?” It was the first thing Gabriel said when he regained consciousness, not giving a shit that he was loud or in a hospital. “Is he alright?”  _ I saw him get hit by a truck. _

“Settle down Gabe,” Sombra said. She had her hands on his shoulders and gently pushed him back down into the bed.

Gabriel’s entire being ached, the source strong, deep within his chest. It felt like loss. “Jack,” he croaked.

“He’s not here,” Sombra said. “We haven't seen him since he excused himself at dinner and you went after him.”

“What happened?”  _ Jack got hit by a fucking truck. _ Gabriel winced. His hand went to his forehead, and in his mind the answer played in slow motion, soundless, and he had no idea where the images came from. 

He saw Jack picking up the little girl in his arms, gauntlet forming as he did, a shield erupting to cover them. It spread to protect the driver too, truck cleaving in half where it touched Jack, sending a shower of blue sparks into the air. Gabriel then saw the shield expand as if it were made of saran wrap, enveloping the debris, somehow halting it. Jack stood amidst the center of the chaos, staring right at Gabriel, deep cerulean forlorn and longing. 

And then everything was gone. The images left him as easily as he turned off a television. 

“Gabe?” Sombra asked. “Are you in pain? We can get a nurse.”

“The kid… Is she, is everyone okay?”

“She’s fine,” Amélie said, hand on his wrist. She squeezed in a gesture of comfort, mindful of her manicured nails. “So is the driver. Not a scratch on either. Though he was a bit distressed; raving about a having been ‘wrapped up in a glowing blue cocoon’.”

“None of the bystanders were hurt either,” Sombra added. “They kept talking about a blonde in glasses and an expensive suit though.” She folded her arms. “And how he and  _ la chiquita _ were also surrounded by the same kind of shield… I know you just woke up Gabe, but Jack's not really from around here, is he?”

“New York counts,” he replied dryly. He was  _ not _ in the mood to talk about who Jack really was.

Amélie got the hint. She strode over to the other side of the bed and clamped a hand over Sombra’s mouth. “Not the time  _ chérie _ _. _ ”

Sombra pried her hand away, spinning around to face Amélie. “It is absolutely the right time  _ araña _ _ , _ because it sounds to me like Gabriel’s been dating the guy who wrecked his shop, and if he’s got weird tech like that, well — ”

“You’re not getting access,” Amélie said, quirking a brow in annoyance.

“Ugh, that’s not it. I’m worried about Gabe. What Jack has is dangerous. None of us know him very well. What if Jack had hurt him?”

“I’m right here Sombra,” Gabriel said, though he was looking out the window. “And he wouldn’t do that.”

“How do you know?” 

Gabriel faced her, “I just do.”

She shook her head. “He could probably fry you if he wanted. Maybe he shoots lasers out of his eyes, or carries around a weapon that could scramble your brains.” Sombra pointed at her own head with her index fingers, moving them in quick circles. “Fuck, Gabe, I’m sorry I pushed you into going out with him.”

“Are you kidding me?” He snapped. “Did we really go on the same date? Yeah, Jack was a little nervous, but he didn’t do anything wrong. He was nothing but kind, and you have no reason to accuse him of doing shit he absolutely wouldn’t do. He saved people's lives today Sombra, and I…” The rising anger he’d felt suddenly fled, his tone soft, “I just hope he’s safe.”  _ I wish he were here. _

Where  _ was _ Jack? 

Sombra frowned, and she sat back down in the chair that had been pulled up beside Gabriel’s bed. She tentatively took his hand. “I’m sure he’s back at his apartment. We didn’t exactly have time to check. Neither of us have really left the hospital since you were admitted.”

“As best we could, anyway. Sombra almost tried to fight a nurse about staying past visiting hours. We got a hotel close by instead,” Amélie said. 

“I could have won against her.”

Amélie chuckled. “I do not doubt it.”

“Thanks for staying,” Gabriel managed, but his words sounded hollow. His gaze drifted to the end of the bed, and he was able to picture Jack there, standing over him. “Why am I here?” He genuinely didn’t recall that part.

“You collapsed.” Another voice said. Gabriel saw a young doctor walk into the room. She had a pleasant smile and sun-touched hair, much like Jack’s, though it was long enough to be tied behind her head. Her heels clicked as she approached, holding a tablet. “I’m Dr. Angela Ziegler. How are you feeling Mr. Reyes?”

“Like shit.” He winced. “Chest still hurts. Right in the center.”

She nodded. “Our initial diagnostics didn’t show anything wrong with your heart. I would suspect something soulmate related, given your symptoms, but according to your records, you’re Unmarked.”

“Yeah.”  _ Tell me something I don’t know. _

“We would like to run a few more tests.” 

“Sure, whatever you need.”  _ If it'll get me home faster… _

Dr. Zeigler started listing off and explaining names of procedures she wanted to do, and Gabriel tried to listen, but he was completely unable to focus on her words. Instead, he was drawn by an unshakable feeling of distress and fear that Gabriel was certain wasn’t his. He couldn’t really pinpoint where it was coming from, and found himself staring listlessly at the end of the bed, raising a hand to reach out, to comfort someone who wasn’t there.

“Mr. Reyes?”

“Gabe, what are you doing?” Sombra asked quietly.

“Is there someone there?” Dr. Ziegler said.

He closed his hand, making a fist, then lowered it onto the sheets. “No,” he said, trying not to sound upset, “there isn’t.”

 

* * *

 

They kept him in the hospital for another day. He’d been away from home for three. Dr. Ziegler, who was apparently the best on site, couldn’t find a damn thing wrong with him, other than his poor sleep habits, which she’d given him medication for. He’d spent a lot of his waking hours thinking about Jack, hoping he’d come see him during visiting hours, but he never did.

Gabriel stared out the car window, watching his apartment building appear in the distance as they approached.

“Do you want us to come up with you?” Amélie asked, parking the car out front. She turned to look over her shoulder, tipping her sunglasses down.

“No. I’ll be fine,” Gabriel said as he got out.

“I don’t believe you,” Sombra said.

“Really. I need to handle this on my own.”

She leaned out the car window. “I’m still not convinced you won’t need some backup.”

“If I do, I’ll come running,” Gabriel smiled. “Thank you both for being here for me. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.”

“Just be safe Gabe, and I mean it, if you need help, call.”

Gabriel nodded, offering Amélie and Sombra a wave before he headed into his apartment building, stopping in front of Jack’s door. There was no hesitation this time. He rapped his knuckles against it.   
“Jack. Are you in there?” No sooner had the words left his lips did the vice in his chest return, fear gripping him, but he himself wasn’t afraid. _This is his, isn’t it?_ “Jack, please. Let me in,”

“I can’t Gabriel,” Jack said quietly, almost inaudible. “I’m sorry, but… I just…”

“Jack. Don’t do this to me. I haven’t seen you in days.” He placed a hand on the door, on the measly slab of wood that separated them. “You just disappeared after the whole ‘getting hit by a fucking truck’ thing, which is kind of a big deal, by the way, and I was… When I first saw it happen, I thought you may have been hurt, but I was never able to find out because I…” His hand became a fist. “I was in the hospital Jack.”

Silence.

“I’m not mad. I just want to know why you ran.”  _ Please believe me. _

“I do believe you, Gabriel.”

Gabriel’s eyes widened. Had Jack just heard his thoughts?

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I don’t belong here.”

_ You do. _

“I don’t,”

There it was again. Jack’s voice in his head. But Gabriel didn’t have time to think about it. Not then.

Jack continued, “I’m too dangerous for this realm. I’m going home, Gabriel.”

“Jack!” He watched the light beneath the door shift and heard footsteps. “Please.” He hit the door with his palms, trying to get Jack’s attention. This wasn’t right. “Don’t go. I just found you and you’re going to leave? I… I don’t want to be alone again.” A desperate sadness wrapped around him like a blanket, pulling tighter, threatening to suffocate. “Please,” his voice cracked, “let me see you.”

The lock clicked and the door opened.  

Jack looked liked he hadn’t slept at all in the time Gabriel was gone: eyes bloodshot with dark circles beneath, posture drooping like the frown that tugged at the corners of his mouth, stretching chapped lips. Some stubble was starting to grow in around Jack’s jaw line. He wore the same clothing he was in when he crashed through the roof of Gabriel’s shop, though his duster was buttoned up and his glasses hung by the collar of his shirt.

He reached out to Gabriel slowly, brushing the flesh near the stitches in his face. “I did this to you.”

Gabriel took his hand, leaning into Jack’s touch. “Accident.”

“No,” Jack pulled away, hand going over his own mouth. His voice trembled like he was about to cry. “I missed some debris. My shield didn’t envelope all of the pieces of the truck in time. You got hurt.”

“Jack, it’s okay.”

“No. It’s not.” He said firmly, voice breaking. “It’s not.” He turned away from Gabriel and walked into the apartment. Gabriel’s heart plummeted when he saw what was inside. 

The portal was completed and operational, standing tall in the middle of the living room. Jack touched a panel on the side. The sound of dancing electricity filled the air, a churning ebb of blue and sea green coming alive at its center. Jack stepped on the small ramp leading into it.

“You don’t have to do this.” Gabriel walked towards him, and with every step he took Jack got closer to the portal.

“Gabe… Please understand. I’ve wrestled with this choice since you were hurt, since I found out you were alive. You need to let me go.”

“I don’t want to.”

“I know.” Jack looked away from him, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand. “I don’t want to either, but sometimes these things have to be done.”

“You don’t have to leave to protect me Jack!,” Gabriel shouted, tears flowing freely, but he didn’t move to stop him. He wasn’t going to. If Jack had made up his mind to leave, then he’d respect that decision, as much as doing so tore him apart.

“Goodbye, Gabriel,” Jack barely looked at him, his voice projecting an air of stoicism. 

He didn’t want to say it, nearly couldn’t, but knew he’d regret it if he didn’t. “Goodbye.”  _ Please don’t do this. _

When Jack stepped through the portal, Gabriel didn’t expect he’d ever see him again, but, apparently, the universe had other plans. 

Jack was flung from the portal in the opposite direction, hitting the wall with a hard thwack. Gabriel immediately ran over to him, but Jack was already on his feet sprinting at the portal. He went through again only to achieve the same result. Jack tried two more times, putting a hole in the drywall, before Gabriel caught him, caging Jack’s arms to his torso with his own to prevent another attempt.

“Stop it you idiot!” Gabriel locked his fingers. “You’re hurting yourself.”

“Let me go Gabriel! I need to go home! My technology is — ” he struggled, “ _ I’m _ too dangerous!”

“I don’t fucking believe that Jack.  _ Let me help you _ .”

“There’s nothing you can do.” Jack kept his tone even. “You can’t keep me here.”

“Jack…”

“Did you think you’d be able to?” He said harshly. Jack’s arms pushed against Gabriel’s, and Gabriel let him go. “That you’d be enough to keep me in this insignificant off realm The Void itself wouldn’t want to devour?” He watched Jack turn. His eyes had become listless and cold. Gabriel knew it was a front. It had to be. All he could feel was pain, amplified far beyond what a single person should be feeling. Jack’s was there too. “We cannot do this. It was a mistake. I do not belong here. I never did.”

Gabriel stared at Jack, gaze equally cold, equally broken, though he couldn’t stop the tears from coming. 

How stupid, how naïve he was for thinking anything could work out between them. 

He was never destined to be with anyone… 

Gabriel shook his head. No, that wasn’t right. That wasn’t him. He wasn’t giving in: not to Jack, and certainly not to himself. 

_ Fuck it. _ Gabriel’s hands balled into fists, nails digging into the flesh of his palms. Doubt was oppressive, but worse still was keeping in how he felt, so, he found himself saying what was written on his heart, “Yes, you did, and still do.” He lingered, waiting to see if Jack would react. When his features didn’t change, Gabriel turned and started to walk out. “My door’s open if you decide you want to talk. First aid kit’s in the the bathroom. Take care of your back at least.”

There was so much more he wanted to say, but he left it alone, just like Jack wanted to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack getting flung from the portal repeatedly was one of the initial ideas I had before I started writing this, so I'm glad I got to use it. Hope you guys aren't too sad. Things always get worse before they get better.


	8. Epiphany

Jack had never wanted to hurt Gabriel. As he watched him go, a deep ache radiated from his core, just as it had when he stood in Gabriel’s hospital room. And, like then, it was enough to bring him to his knees. He pushed down the urge to cry out to Gabriel, to urge him to come back. He could hear Gabriel’s thoughts bouncing around his skull: _This hurts so much. I don’t know if I can do this. Why do I care about you like this? Why is it so hard to let you go like you asked? Jack._

“Because I didn’t mean it. Gabriel,” he said through a shaking breath, “I’m sorry.” _I just can’t hurt you._

But he had. By The Void he had.

Jack clutched his chest, the burning intense as if a fire had erupted, searing his insides, dulling out the throbbing in his back. His vision tunneled, becoming a haze, and he succumbed to it. He allowed the pain to take him. He deserved it, after all.

His forehead fell to rest against the floor. Jack didn’t know how long he stayed that way, but, after a time, he heard the soft sound of music, and it slowly forced him to get up, following it down the hall towards his bathroom. It still reeked of illness, but he couldn’t be forced to care, drifting into the bathtub where he stood, pressing his ear up against the wall.

Gabriel was singing; it was both beautiful and haunting. Jack didn’t need to make out the words to know they dripped with sorrow.

He closed his eyes, the melody vibrating in his ear, through his bones, pulling at every fiber of his being, and Jack had to consciously force himself to remain where he was.

_He doesn’t need me._

 

__

 

Jack slid to a sitting position, head still against the wall, trying to relax and lose himself, for just a moment, in Gabriel’s music. He was a fool, he knew. It was wrong of him to have gone on that date, to have gotten close to Gabriel like he did. They’d almost… they’d almost kissed. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought, though it vanished quickly when he felt a tear trail down his cheek.

 _Enough._ He was an Explorer. One of the brave elite sent to do what few ever could, and he was… _Severely flawed._

The music picked up suddenly, somber tones replaced with a staccato of anger, off-key strumming, and a pained cry. Jack cringed when it all stopped and he then heard something break.

_Gabe._

Silence.

Muffled sobbing.

Unrestrained sorrow.

_I’m sorry._

Jack’s shoulders slumped and he leaned his head back against the wall, staring at the ceiling, accompanied by the sound of Gabriel’s crying. He’d done that. What kind of a person was he? _One that wasn’t supposed to get involved._ But he had. He’d fallen for Gabriel, and exposed himself to the public by saving a life. He’d done things against the code he’d abided by for years, and, somehow, it didn’t matter. Not a damn bit. What mattered was that he’d hurt Gabriel.

What mattered was that he was unable to find the strength to go to him.

So, instead, he sat there and listened. Jack closed his eyes. He found himself crying too, mouthing the words ‘I’m sorry’ over and over again, hoping it would help make him feel like he wasn’t falling apart.

No such luck.

The feeling stayed with him long after Gabriel had stopped, and the only thing Jack could hear was the sound of his own breathing. He wasn’t sure what to do, willing himself out of the tub to wander into the living room again where his portal cutter was still running.

He frowned at it. It should have worked, and yet, he was flung back out every time he’d tried to use it.

 _Why?_ He rubbed his brow, which quickly shot up as a thought crept into his head. _No, that’s preposterous._ But at the same time, it made the most sense. Everything that had happened, all of the mistakes, the coincidences, the choices; they always brought him to Gabriel. Was it possible he and Gabriel were…?

Jack drew a deep breath, staring at the swirling blue vortex beneath the gateway of the portal cutter. “Okay, let’s give this a go.”

He walked up the ramp and stepped through. Jack was not flung out this time, instead ending up in Gabriel’s room beside his bed. Gabriel was curled up on top of his sheets, knees drawn to his chest, clutching a tear-stained pillow. He was fast asleep, and Jack carefully pulled a blanket over him, noticing the broken guitar pieces strewn about the floor.

“Rest,” he said softly. “I’ll be back.”

Jack needed to talk to someone.

 

* * *

 

Getting Amélie and Sombra’s address was just a matter of an Internet search. It wasn’t long before he was standing in front of the door to their penthouse suite, a finger on the buzzer below a speaker and what appeared to be a small camera lens.

In seconds the door swung open, and Sombra grabbed him by the lapels, pulling him past the threshold and down to her height. “ _You_ have a lot of nerve showing up here _gringo_. I know you wrecked Gabe’s shop, and I’d let that slide had you actually bothered to show up when he was in the hospital.” She shook her head, baring teeth. “He missed you. Badly.”

Jack remained calm. “I visited. It was after hours when everyone was asleep. It was easier that way.”

“ _Mierda._ ”

Jack sighed. This was it. If he intended to move forward, to find out if he and Gabriel were what he thought they might be, he needed to cast his fears aside. “It’s true,” he assured.

“They don’t let visitors in after nine.”

“That’s not a problem for me.” Jack teleported out of Sombra’s grasp, reforming on the couch across from her.

Sombra stared at him, eyes blown and slack-jawed, pointing. “Did you just..?”

“Yes, I teleported.” Jack spoke quickly, with finality. “No, you’re not hallucinating. No, I won’t show you how I did it.”

He heard a gun cock and glanced behind the couch to see Amélie holding a rifle, which was aimed at him. “Give me a reason not to shoot you,” she said.

He took a deep breath. _Now or never._ “I think Gabriel and I are soulmates.”

“Impossible,” Amélie said. “You are both Unmarked.”

“I know, which is why I came to talk to you two. Please.”

“Not until you tell us who you really are Jack,” Sombra said.

“Alright.” Jack held up his hands. “But you both may want to sit down.”

Amélie and Sombra exchanged glances and remained where they were.

“Start talking,” Amélie said.

And Jack did. He told them as much as he could, as much as Gabriel knew. He told them how he’d arrived in the realm, what his job was, where he was from, and how, no matter what, he always seemed to return to Gabriel.

By the time he was done Sombra had plopped down in a chair, legs folded. Amélie had set the rifle down against the arm of said chair, which she was sitting on, partially leaning on Sombra. Both them had their attention fully on Jack.

“That is incredibly cool,” Sombra said. “You’re absolutely going to have to show me this portal cutter of yours.”

“Sombra, I think you missed the point,” Amélie said.

“No, I got it. I’m just distracted by the fact Jack _travels to other dimensions_ .” She put her hands up in excitement, nearly whacking Amélie. “You have _got_ to tell me the stories.”

Jack smiled, “I suppose after hearing the ones about you and Gabriel’s childhood it would only be fair. Maybe after all of this is settled.”

“Right, back to your highly improbable soulmate idea,” she said.

“Just because it doesn’t work with what you know currently, doesn’t mean it’s not happening,” Jack said, trying not to sound annoyed.

“Sorry,” Sombra said. “You’re right. All of this is just so… out there, you know? I’m still trying to process it.” She ran her fingers through the longer section of her hair, trying, and failing, to tuck it behind her ear. “But I guess if your tech is real, then maybe you and Gabe are too. I was serious when I said he missed you.”

“I know,” Jack sighed, leaning forward with his hands in his lap. “I know…”

“How can we help, Jack?” Amélie offered.

“Can there be marks in other places?”

“Not that we’re aware of.” She exchanged a glance with Sombra. “Why?”

“When I thought I’d injured him, and after I made him leave, there was pain concentrated here.” He put a fist in the middle of his chest. “And sometimes I can hear his thoughts, his voice in my head, feel emotions that aren’t mine...”

Amélie spoke tentatively, “What else?”

“I read about Unmarked being there one instant and then gone the next. The local power surges associated with the disappearances; those kinds of disruptions are often signs of interdimensional travel, minor distortions, if you will. I don’t think Unmarked are vanishing into nothing. I think they’re being taken to where they belong… to whom they belong with. I was already a traveler, so it was easier for me to be pulled instead.”

Sombra quirked a brow. “So you’re saying some unknown power decided to bring you here so you could be with our Gabe?”

“Likely the same power that gave you and Amélie, and everyone else, marks. You don’t know where they come from, do you?”

“Of course I do,” Sombra said.

“Oh? Do tell,” Jack folded his arms.

“I, uh,” she shook her head, “alright. I actually have no idea. They just are, as are our connections.” Sombra took Amélie’s hand.

“Mmm. It seems there are a lot of unknowns here,” Jack said, “and that holds true with the rest of the multiverse. The only certainty, for me at least, is that Gabriel isn’t one of them.” _Not anymore._

No one spoke for a while. Jack tried not to fidget in his seat, part of him waiting to be refuted again. Though he was confident in his theories, there was a nagging voice in the back of his mind, reminding him how he’d been wrong before.

“Connect with him then,” Sombra broke the silence.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“If you’re Gabriel’s soulmate, you should be able to find him.”

“But I know where he is.”

Sombra sighed, getting up and tapping Jack’s forehead. “In here, _idiota_.”

“How do I…?”

“That’s up to you.”

Jack nodded. “I’ll try.”

He took several calming breaths, and closed his eyes, concentrating all of his thoughts on Gabriel. And then, he followed the tunnel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost at the end. The last two chapters will probably be posted together because ten is technically an epilogue (and they're both short).


	9. Coming Home

Gabriel was miserable here too.

Waves crashed against a rocky shore, and blankets of slate grey loomed overhead, pouring stinging droplets of cold water onto Gabriel’s bare skin. He had goosebumps on his arms, his legs, his chest, sitting in nothing more than a pair of swim trunks. He stared out at an angry, churning sea, crests of white breaking across black waters.

He always used to go out to the beaches in Los Angeles when he needed time to think, to get away from his troubles. But, it seemed, even his favorite place couldn't help him. 

_ I’m alone. _

The notion was crushing. He'd gotten his hopes up with Jack, and what had he received in return? 

_ You left me.  _

He drew into himself, hugging his legs and burying his face in his knees. The rain pelted his body to the point where it stung. Gabriel didn't care. 

_ You left me, and I fucking miss you.  _

“I'm sorry,” Jack's voice said. 

“You could have stayed,” Gabriel said, unmoving. 

“What makes you think I didn't?” The rain stopped falling then, and Gabriel looked up to see an umbrella hovering over him. “You’re not alone, Gabe. And I’m sorry I made you think you had to be.”

Gabriel eyed him momentarily. Jack looked exactly as he’d left him, still dressed in his Explorer gear. “Nice sentiment, but you’re not actually here Jack. I’m just,” he sighed, “talking to myself.”

“Are you now?” Jack quirked a brow. “Do you think I’m part of your dream?”

“You have been for a while, and I…” he shook his head. “I should have ignored it.”

Jack sat beside him, keeping the umbrella over them both. Gabriel appreciated the gesture even if it wasn’t real. He watched the stream of water cascade over the edge of the umbrella.

“Ignored what?”

“How I felt about you. It was too much, too soon; an instant connection. From the moment you fell asleep in my arms I knew I didn’t want to give that up. But I was projecting, wasn’t I? It’s petty of me, stupid even, but being one of the few forced to watch those around you find their match while you know you never will is just painful. It hurts Jack. It hurts all of the time. Why did I think dating another Unmarked would work?”

“Unmarked,” Jack scoffed a bit. “I don’t believe there is such a thing.”

“Jack. I don’t have a mark.” He sat up and bared his forearms. “Of course it’s a thing. It's been a thing my entire life.”

“Perhaps you have one elsewhere.”

Gabriel looked at Jack, brows knit in confusion. Jack was fucking smiling at him, lighting that fire within his chest, and Gabriel set his hand there, right at the center.

“Maybe,” Jack continued, “it’s in a place not accessible to most, not meant to be seen. Outside of this dream of yours, have you felt anything there?” He motioned to where Gabriel was touching.

“I did,” he admitted. “When you disappeared after the truck incident, when I thought you’d been hurt. It…”

“Put you in the hospital.”

Gabriel nodded.

“They never discovered the cause?”

“No, but the doctor mentioned how strange it was, how it was similar to—” his eyes widened.  _ No fucking way.  _ Gabriel was  _ not _ that lucky. “Jack what are you getting at?”

“I felt the same, enough to bring me to my knees when I saw you in that hospital bed.”

“You were there?”

“While you were asleep, yes. I wasn’t going to abandon you like that.”

Gabriel lowered his hand. “But you were planning to.” Thunder rumbled, and lightning slashed across the sky to strike the water far off in the distance.

Jack gently took Gabriel’s chin, rubbing circles against his jaw with a thumb. “Yes, and it would have been the wrong choice.” He sighed. “Sometimes, Gabriel, I hear your thoughts, feel your feelings. I need to know, is it the same for you?”

“Yes.” Gabriel gripped Jack’s wrist. “Jack are we…?” He couldn’t say it, couldn’t believe it. There was no way, and yet it was the only thing that made any sense.

“Soulmates. Yes. I believe so.”

Gabriel shook his head. This had to be his mind playing a joke, albeit a sick one. Jack wasn’t really there. It was just a fucking dream.  _ But if we’re soulmates, he can be. _

“I can hear that, you know,” Jack said.

“Where are you?”

“At Sombra and Amelie’s.”

“Come back,” his tone was pleading.

“I will be there soon.” Jack smiled again, brushing Gabriel’s lips with his fingers as he pulled away. “I promise.”

 

* * *

 

The first thing Gabriel did when he woke was text Sombra, waiting, not so patiently, on the edge of the bed for a reply. He had to know if dream Jack had been telling the truth, or if it had just been a delusion of his grief-stricken brain.

As usual, she was quick to reply. The message read:  _ “He left an hour ago”. _

_ An hour?  _ Gabriel shook his head.  _ Where was he? _ Sombra and Amelie’s wasn’t that far, and Jack could teleport short distances with his gauntlet, so, where the hell was he?

Gabriel got up, trying to relax. If they were soulmates, he should be able to know where Jack was, to feel his presence, but he was finding it very difficult to focus on a bond he still wasn’t convinced he had.

_ I can’t tell where he is. I can’t feel him anywhere. _

That didn’t mean anything though. New bonds took time to learn how to navigate, supposedly.  _ Or there isn’t one. _

He rushed to Jack’s apartment.

Locked.  _ Of course. _

Gabriel pounded on the door with a closed fist. “Jack? Are you there?”

He received no reply. Maybe Jack had gotten lost, or something had happened on the way back, or… maybe he’d gone back to his realm, back to Irixia? Maybe the Jack in his dream had been lying, hadn’t been real, maybe—

“Gabriel?”

He spun around to see Jack holding a bouquet of purple and red flowers. 

_ Hyacinth. I’m sorry. _ He heard Jack say in his mind.  _ Chrysanthemum. I love you. _

Their gazes locked, and in that instant something flared to life, his entire body coursing with an energy he could feel dancing in every nerve, and Gabriel was flooded with memories of a life that wasn’t his, with thoughts of Jack.

“Gabriel, can you feel my presence?”

“Yes Jack.” He really could. Gabriel approached him, laughing, a wide smile having taken over his face.  His arms found their way around Jack, crushing the bouquet between their chests. “I’m so glad you came back.” His voice shook, and he hadn’t realized until then that he’d been crying. “I thought you’d gone home.”

He felt Jack slide a hand beneath his chin, tipping Gabriel’s head up, noses touching. “Gabriel, how could I? I am home.” Jack pulled Gabriel in, closing the small distance between them and pressed their lips together.

It was like an explosion, like two lost stars colliding after an eternity of separation, giving up what they once were to become something brighter, something new. Their feelings of euphoria, of belonging, were indistinguishable from one another. Jack was what Gabriel had been missing, and now that he had him, he never intended to let him go. 

They parted slowly, focused beyond the physical to what blossomed beneath. He set his hand against Jack’s chest, knowing his feelings were mutual, reciprocated. No hesitation. No regrets. Just love. 

“You  _ are _ home,” Gabriel said firmly, and pulled Jack in for another kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this ending in mind ever since the idea for this fic popped in my head. Hope you all enjoyed the read. The last chapter is a small epilogue.


	10. Epilogue: Hereafter

“Jack hurry the fuck up, we’re going to be late.”

“Gabriel. It’s impossible to be late,” Jack said  bolting down the sidewalk after his partner, who was laughing loud enough to get stares from bystanders. “You’re the owner.”

“Technicalities Jackie.”

Jack smiled as they neared the Don't Fret music shop, which had been repaired, showing no signs of Jack's rather fortunate fall. It had been nearly a month since that day, but for them, the start of a lifetime. He'd disassembled the portal cutter, gotten rid of his apartment, and moved in with Gabriel. 

And Jack couldn't have been happier, couldn't see his life without the man he loved with all of his being. They'd spent their time learning about each other. Gabriel was teaching Jack as much about the realm as he could, while Jack was sure to share a story of his travels with Gabriel before bed every night. 

They'd discussed taking trips to some of the safer places Jack had been, and, perhaps once things were settled, they would. Gabriel, in turn, wanted to show Jack Los Angeles and introduce him to his extensive family; a notion Jack hadn't quite worked up the nerve to agree to, yet.

He watched Gabriel pull a lanyard with a few keys on it out of the pocket of his jeans, searching for the right one. When he opened the front door to his shop, the lights came on automatically, and he stood inside, scanning the area. 

“They did a good job fixing the place. You can’t even tell that a hot blonde from outer space destroyed everything by landing on his ass hard enough to wipe out the dinosaurs.” Gabriel sneered. 

Jack shook his head, shrugging. “Keep poking fun Gabe, see if I give you your present.”

Gabriel looked at Jack, “You got me a present?”

“Yes,” he motioned to the back room. “In there.”

“Should I be concerned?”

“I got it legally, I promise.”

Gabriel headed to the back of his shop to his office with Jack in tow. Jack had spent a lot of time picking out the right gift (due to both lack of knowledge and him being incredibly picky), and had bought it with Amelie and Sombra’s help, paying for some of it by temporarily working in Sombra’s shop. He hoped Gabriel would like it. 

“Holy shit Jack, are you serious?” He put a hand over his mouth. “This is…” Gabriel went over to an acoustic guitar on a stand with a big red bow around the neck. It was handmade, imported from Spain, with an intricate carving of an owl in flight on the front. “Beautiful.” Gabriel placed his palms on either side of Jack's face and kissed him. “Thank you Jack.”

“I’m glad you like it. I figured a new one was in order after I caused you to smash your old one.”

Gabriel let him go and picked up the guitar, tossing Jack the bow. “Let's see how she plays.”

Jack took a seat on a bar stool and watched Gabriel test the sound, strumming out a few chords as he adjusted the strings. It wasn't long before he was singing.

 

 

“Life is strange sometimes, wouldn't you say? I know it was for us, but that's okay. You made me smile. I taught you how. And you do it too, even just thinking about it now…” Gabriel’s song tapered off, and he looked at Jack like he was the only person in the world, the only one that mattered. “I love you Jack.”

“I love you too, Gabe.”

Gabriel put his guitar back on the stand and took Jack's hand. “My employees will be here soon. You ready for me to show you what you're going to be doing?”

“As I'll ever be,” Jack squeezed Gabriel’s hand and together, as one, they walked out into the shop. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song lyrics are from Remember Me by Machinae Supremacy.
> 
> I figured I'd give this fic a nice wrap up. Again, thank you all for reading. Thank you for your comments, your kudos, your bookmarks/subs. Thank you very much for your continued support of my work.


End file.
